Derbyshire Police revealed that rapper 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, wrote a letter offering to cover bail costs for Abrirahiim Hassan, also known as Samir Hassan, to enable him to join the rapper's entourage on a European tour. Hassan, 37, was later convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine and sentenced to 18-and-a-half years in prison on Friday, July 10, 2026.
Derby Drug Network Jailed for Over 127 Years
Hassan acted as a middleman connecting London with a Derby-based drug operation that flooded the city and county with cocaine. Judge Jonathan Straw handed down sentences totaling more than 127 years combined to members of the network, stating: "These were two large-scale drug operations in Derby and each of these operations involved the purchase of numerous multi-kilo consignments of cocaine from high-level national distributors. The consignments would arrive into the county packaged in the same form they had left South America. Each was a slickly run criminal enterprise and each was well-established involving cooperation between each organised crime group. This was offending borne out of a lifestyle choice and not desperation. There was nothing glamorous or Netflix involved in what you were doing. Drugs are a blight on our society and lives are destroyed by this addiction."
Scale of Cocaine Supply
Prosecutor Jonathan Cox detailed the vast scale of the operation: "This case involved group enterprises which were heavily involved in the supply of very large quantities of class A drugs, into and undoubtedly throughout Derbyshire. The scale and reach of the overall enterprises was vast. They were involved in offending which was directly linked with groups involved in the importation of cocaine and was directly linked with and involved the national and regional distribution of cocaine." He noted that despite police seizing kilograms of narcotics and thousands of pounds during operations in 2024 and 2025, the criminal network "barely broke stride." In July 2024, 739kg of cocaine was collected near Southampton after being dropped from a container ship into the Channel and retrieved by inflatable boat. In Derby, seizures included 2kg in Chaddesden on April 11, 2024, 1kg on July 12, 2024, and 10kg in Sinfin on May 8, 2024.
Lavish Lifestyles Funded by Drug Dealing
Cox described the lavish lifestyles of gang members: "In terms of pure profit, the two most senior figures accrued clothing worth nearly £100,000. On the basis of profits described by the gang members this alone would equate to sales of tens of kilograms of cocaine. In Sinfin, on April 23 and 24, one of the gang (Jordan Hudson) took two videos of large quantities of cash in his bedroom, estimated at £75,000 in the drawer and £120,000 on the bed." He added that one group member gave a detailed account of a "jet-setting, entourage type lifestyle" and having worked for an A-list musician (50 Cent).
Sentences Handed Down
Every member of the gang either pleaded guilty to or was convicted of charges including conspiracy to supply cocaine. Dominic Hulland, 29, of Wood Road, Chaddesden, who led the Chaddesden conspiracy, was sentenced to 16-and-a-half years. Aaron O'Donnell, 36, of Hobkirk Drive, Sinfin, led the Sinfin operation and received 14 years and eight months. Harninder Purewal, 47, of Bridge Gate Lane, Derby, coordinated deliveries for both operations and was imprisoned for 20 years. Abrirahiim (Samir) Hassan, 37, of London, acted as the connection between London and the East Midlands, supplied the 50 Cent reference, and enjoyed a "jetset lifestyle" according to the judge; he received 18-and-a-half years. Tony Lewis, 37, from Allestree, distributed multiple kilos to the Chaddesden operation and got 11 years. Max Bowler, 31, from Long Eaton, was "Dominic Hulland's right hand man" and also convicted of possession of an imitation firearm; he was jailed for 13-and-a-half years. Alan Hulland, 54, from Elvaston, Dominic's uncle, was caught with 2kg of cocaine in a bag for life and jailed for nine years. Lucas Sankey, 29, from Derby, received eight-and-a-half years. Valentino Talic, 30, from Chaddesden, got eight years. Nicholas Cleary, 32, from Birmingham, operated as a courier and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years. Kyle Steadman, 32, from Normanton; Jordan Hudson, 31, from Sunny Hill; and Josh Keyland, 36, from Stenson Fields, are due to be sentenced next week.
