The Yorkshire heroin factory that used a food blender and a Henry Hoover

The trio used a food blender to mix quantities of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine and tried to vacuum the evidence away with a Henry Hoover when they realised they were under suspicion.

Inside the Leeds drugs factory where 'evil' gang started international tradeRameez Anjum, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply the drugs at Leeds Crown Court last week, and was sentenced to eight years and two months in jail. He had already been given a five-year term for possessing a firearm at an earlier trial.

'Vast' cannabis factories on an industrial scale found in LeedsHis accomplices Mohammed Abbas Azeem, 31, and Shaun Kellett, 42, are already in prison, having been given sentences of 14 and five years respectively in February.

The trio supplied drugs to customers across West Yorkshire from the flat in Bradford city centre. They were arrested in August 2016 after police officers put the rented apartment under surveillance.

They swooped on Azeem as he left the building in his car, and recovered a number of mobile phones and a set of keys for the property in his pocket.

Police then entered the flat, where they found Kellett vacuuming the floors with the bathroom taps running. Officers believed him to have been flushing drugs away and cleaning up evidence, and arrested him at the scene.

A search of the apartment, which was rented by Anjum, revealed a food blender that had been used to mix drugs with cutting agents, and traces of heroin and cocaine were discovered inside the Henry Hoover. Other drugs paraphernalia including clear plastic bags, scales, masks and heat sealers were also found to be contaminated with heroin.

Around three kilos of class A substances are thought to have been prepared at the flat.

Anjum was arrested later the same day, and a search of his house revealed a quantity of heroin with a street value of £280,000, a converted pistol and six rounds of ammunition hidden under a mattress.

Angela McKenna, from the National Crime Agency's Armed Operations Unit, said:

“We believe this investigation has significantly disrupted the activities of a well organised crime group who were responsible for distributing large quantities of class A drugs across West Yorkshire.

“These individuals were involved in serious criminality and given the fact a firearm and ammunition were recovered, they were clearly a danger to the public. We will continue to work with our colleagues from West Yorkshire Police to tackle the violent nature of those involved in this level of criminality.”