Four members of a Halifax-based drugs gang who dubbed themselves “The Hardy Boys” have been jailed for more than 20 years.

Work by specialist detectives at West Yorkshire Police uncovered that five men, who are all part of the same family based in the Pellon area, were supplying cocaine across the wider Calderdale district through a dedicated ‘drug line’.

Cousins Samran Ali, 28, and Arbaaz Ali, 27, were identified as the heads of the organised crime group but were sent to prison in February 2025 for their involvement in a violent disorder incident in Mile Cross Road, Halifax, earlier that month.

While they were in prison, the running of the drugs line was handed over to Arbaaz’s younger brother Balaval Ali, 26, and their uncle Atif Hussain, 44.

Four members of a Halifax-based drugs gang, who dubbed themselves “The Hardy Boys”, have been jailed following an investigation by West Yorkshire Police’s county lines taskforce Operation Phoenix.

placeholder image — Four members of a Halifax-based drugs gang, who dubbed themselves “The Hardy Boys”, have been jailed following an investigation by West Yorkshire Police’s county lines taskforce Operation Phoenix.

Abu Chaudrey, 26, a younger cousin, was shown to have acted as a runner for the group, delivering deals of cocaine to customers across Calderdale at the direction of others.

When Samran Ali was released from prison on licence in December 2025, he immediately took back the running of the line, and when Arbaaz Alis was released on licence in January this year, he joined him.

Officers from Operation Phoenix, which is part of West Yorkshire Police’s Programme Precision initiative targeting serious and organised crime, executed a series of warrants at key addresses in the Pellon area of Halifax on February 12, 2026 and arrested the suspects.

They seized £7,000 in cash, a quantity of cocaine, electric scales and a large amount of clear grip seal ‘dealer bags’.

All five men were charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and all but Chaudrey were remanded in custody.

They each pleaded guilty and were sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Friday, July 3, 2026.

Arbaaz Ali, of Queens Court, Bradford, was jailed for seven years, one month and 25 days and Samran Ali, of Eldroth Road, Halifax, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.

Balaval Ali, of Mayfield Terrace South, Halifax, and Atif Hussain, of Gibbet Street, Halifax, were each sentenced to three years and three months imprisonment.

Abu Chaudrey, of Mayfield Terrace South, Halifax, was given a 24-month sentence suspended for 18 months.

Detective Inspector Helen Chapman, who heads the Operation Phoenix team, said: “These men were behind a significant organised crime group that was supplying cocaine across the Calderdale area.

“They were brought down by a thorough and detailed investigation that painstakingly built up a picture of their involvement, and which saw them plead guilty at court.

“The supply of Class A drugs fuels crime and violence in our communities and brings misery to the lives of individual users and their families, and we hope the significant sentences these men have received will provide some reassurance to the public and serve as a warning to others who think they can profit from the supply of control drugs without having to face the consequences.

“Operation Phoenix will be continuing to take a proactive approach to targeting county lines drug dealing and we expect further positive results in our work to disrupt and dismantle the individuals and organised crime groups behind it.”