Drugs gang who supplied £10m of cocaine and ecstasy and were associates of Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi and his brother are jailed for 40 years

• Five drug dealers jailed for part in four-year plot prior to Manchester bombing  
• Hashem Abedi is the only person to be prosecuted in relation to the terror attack
• The group supplied up to £10 million worth of drugs across the region
• Collectively, they were jailed for a total of 42 years and four months

Members of a multi-million pound drugs gang with links to the Manchester Arena bombing have been jailed for over 40 years.

Five drug dealers were jailed last week for their part in the four-year plot and they were associates of suicide bomber Salman Abedi who murdered 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

Ebrahim Sadigh, a member of the gang, was alleged to have been an ‘interface’ in the purchase of hydrogen peroxide – a chemical used in the making of the bomb.

The gang is said to have peddled £10million worth of cocaine and ecstasy across the area, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Salman Abedi, 22, from Fallowfield, south Manchester, who killed himself and murdered 22 people in a suicide bomb attack at a concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May, 2017

His brother, Hashem Abedi, is the only person prosecuted for the attack and was found guilty of 22 counts of murder and is currently serving a life sentence with a minimum of 55 years

Illyas Abudaber, Hamam Alhamruni, Ebrahim Saidgh and Mohammed Sadigh were all jailed for a total of 42 years and four months at Manchester Crown Court last week.

The men were imprisoned after being found guilty of a slew of charges including conspiracy to supply drugs, possession with intent to supply, possession of a firearm and more.

The drugs case emerged from the investigation into the 2017 concert bombing.

Salman Abedi detonated a huge bomb in his backpack in the foyer of Manchester Arena as concertgoers left an Ariana Grande show on May 22, 2017.

He and his brother, Hashem Abedi, planned the attack for months in advance, and also got unwitting friends to purchase bomb-making chemicals via their Amazon accounts.

Hashem Abedi, who was found guilty of 22 counts of murder in March 2020 and is currently serving a life sentence with a minimum of 55 years. He is the only person to be prosecuted in relation to the terror attack.

Illyas Abudaber, 23, was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, and ketamine, as well as a string of further offences, including possession of a loaded firearm

Ebrahim Sadigh, 22, was jailed for seven years in January 2023 after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs

Ariana Grande continues to send Christmas presents to children in Manchester hospitals – five years after bombing at her concert: Click here to read more 

A sixth man, Zuhir Nassrat, 24, was arrested as part of the investigation into the Arena bombing and is wanted by police for his alleged role in the drugs gang.

He denied any involvement and was later released without charge. 

Nassrat was interviewed by police 13 times and is said to have given his bank card details to Hashem Abedi.

It is said he sent images of his bank card to Ebrahim Sadigh,22, in March 2017 who was meant to pass them on to Hashem Abedi.

He was also linked to IP addresses which had made attempts to purchase hydrogen peroxide.

Nassrat was due to have been called to the inquiry, but is thought to have left the country. 

During the public inquiry, other members of the gang were mentioned and were said to be associates of the Abedi brothers. 

Police also spoke to Illyas Abudaber, 23, whose IP address was also linked to the attempted purchase of hydrogen peroxide, the inquiry heard. 

Abudaber was not arrested and did not provide a witness statement.

He and four others were further sentenced in relation to a ‘sophisticated’ conspiracy which saw an estimated £10million worth of drugs peddled.

Mohammed Sadigh, 30, who was jailed for 11 years in January 2023 after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs

Hamam Alhamruni, 24, was jailed for six years and four months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, cannabis, and ketamine, as well as two breaches of a suspended sentence

Hamza Azouz, 31, was jailed for six years after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, and ketamine

Abudaber, Mohammed Sadigh, 30, his younger brother Ebrahim, 24-year-old Hamam Alhamruni, and Hamza Azouz, 31, were part of a conspiracy in which cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and ketamine were peddled across the city.

The gang’s downfall came just over a month before the Arena bombing, when police investigating a crash on ‘Curry Mile’ in Rusholme made a key discovery.

As well as seizing drugs from a car, officers discovered two phones which would implicate three members of the gang. 

One of the phones was attributed to Abudaber, 23, a ‘runner’ within the operation. 

Another significant breakthrough came during a raid at a flat in Moss Side, where Mohammed Sadigh had lived. 

Officers found £12,000 worth of drugs including cocaine, MDMA and cannabis, as well as £7,500 in cash, multiple phones, an iMac and drug paraphernalia.

Neil Fryman, prosecuting, said: ‘A number of items indicative of a lavish lifestyle were also recovered including a designer clothing, a Rolex watch box and a personalised number plate which read ‘R900 MOE’, and was attributed to Mohammed.’ 

Police made key breakthrough in the case following another road traffic incident.

Investigators found an abandoned Audi following a 90mph pursuit, which started in Harpurhey and ended in Salford.

The vehicle contained small amounts of cocaine, ketamine and MDMA.

A police dog also discovered a Deliveroo bag containing a ‘huge’ amount of ‘wholesale’ quantities of drugs, as well as £20,000 cash, that had been dumped in a nearby garden.

Officers found fingerprints belonging to Ebrahim Sadigh, Abudaber, and Alhamruni on the evidence. 

The drugs case emerged from the investigation into the 2017 concert bombing. Abedi is pictured at Victoria Station making his way to the Manchester Arena, on May 22, 2017, where he detonated his bomb

The terror attack, which took place during an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017, injured hundreds and claimed the lives of 22 people. Pictured: Police at the scene of the attack

The Sadigh brothers, Azouz, Abudaber and Alhamruni all faced justice last week after confessing to their roles in the gang.

Mohammed Sadigh and Ebrahim Sadigh were jailed for 11 and seven years respectively after they both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, and ketamine.

Azouz was jailed for six years after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, and ketamine.

Abudaber was jailed for 12 years after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, and ketamine, as well as a string of further offences, including possession of a loaded firearm.

Alhamruni was jailed for six years and four months after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, cannabis, and ketamine, as well as two breaches of a suspended sentence.

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