A trusted dealer who helped run a notorious Rochdale drugs line has been jailed for more than a decade. Haider Ali, 34, was a controller of the 'Adam' line, operated by an organised crime gang to supply cocaine and heroin in the town.
Arrest and evidence
Minshull Street Crown Court heard that a CCTV operator spotted what appeared to be a drug deal on Baron Street in Rochdale and alerted police. Officers followed a Nissan Qashqai, and when they moved in, Ali ran from the front passenger seat but was arrested a short distance away.
He was found with £1,000 in cash and wraps of cocaine and heroin in his pockets. On the dashboard in front of his seat, police discovered 75 wraps of cocaine and 32 wraps of heroin. Prosecutor Craig MacGregor said Ali was the 'controller' of the Adam line.
Role in the organised crime group
Analysis of seized mobile phones showed that Ali was not only dealing at street level but also managing other street dealers. Evidence indicated he had progressed from a street dealer in 2014 to a significant role within the Adam OCG in 2024 into 2025, managing street dealers and the dedicated dealer phone, and directing those below him on where their next deal was.
The operation was said to generate at least £1m a year. Police efforts to dismantle the line were featured in the BBC series The Detectives: Taking Down An OCG.
Sentencing and police response
Ali, of Pike Street in Rochdale, pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. He was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison. Judge Matthew Corbett-Jones said Ali had been 'trusted with information relating to the wider drug operation', including importations of class A drugs, though he was not involved in such matters.
After the hearing, PC Joe Cooke from GMP's Rochdale Challenger Unit said: "The 'Adam' Organised Crime Group have caused misery for many years to the residents and communities of Rochdale and beyond. Haider Ali's drug dealing as part of this OCG and his management of lower-level street dealers has contributed significantly to the success of the Adam OCG."
Cooke added: "This result shows that when information is received it will be acted upon, Greater Manchester Police is committed to relentlessly pursuing offenders, and will do our best to disrupt and dismantle organised criminals. Organised criminals such as Haider Ali are dangerous individuals with no remorse for their criminality. They operate to exploit the most vulnerable in our societies in order to increase their financial gain and notoriety. This ultimately spreads misery across our communities."
He said he was "proud to say that this investigation has resulted in a quality sentence that will see Haider Ali behind bars for some years to come, Ali has faced justice for his actions." Cooke reassured communities that police will act on any concerns and use information to tackle serious and organised crime. Members of the public can report criminal activity to GMP on 101 or via the online report tool at www.gmp.police.uk, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
