A GANG of Somali crack cocaine dealers are now behind bars as a senior detective warns other criminals that Worcester is 'no soft touch' in the war on drugs.

Three Somali drug dealers who had set up their business in Worcester were jailed at Worcester Crown Court on Friday after all three admitted conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

Kamal Liban, 19, of Leicester was sentenced to three years and four months, Abdlmahad Adow, 20, of London was sentenced to four years and Abdirahim Said, aged 20, was also sentenced to four years.

DI Stu Murphy of Proactive CID at West Mercia Police sent a stern message to potential dealers hoping to set up shop in Worcestershire and warned them – “we will be coming through your door”.

He welcomed the sentences handed out at Worcester Crown Court and praised the investigating officer, DC Luke Papps, for what he described as ‘a thorough job’ collecting the evidence against the jailed dealers.

He said: “We’re happy with the sentences and the defendants offered early guilty pleas to the charges.

"People wishing to come and deal drugs from the bigger towns and cities may think Worcestershire is a soft touch. "Let me reassure them that we will act on the concerns of the local community and we will be coming through your door.”

DI Murphy said the drug dealers had connections to London and Leicester and targeted the addresses of vulnerable people in Worcester as they tried to set up a lucrative operation in the city, thinking they could carry on their enterprise anonymously.

But their confidence proved misplaced when the community raised concerns which led to the dynamic simultaneous warrants – one at an address in Newtown Road and another in Lichfield Avenue, Ronkswood, Worcester at around 6.35am on Thursday, April 7.

Worcester News chief reporter James Connell gave an exclusive report on the operation after accompanying officers on the dawn raids.

One on Newtown Road involved a door being hacked open with a chainsaw before it was battered in by the 'enforcer', the standard police issue battering ram.

The dealers received a rude awakening in a ground floor property at the Lichfield Avenue address as officers smashed their way in using the enforcer.

In total seven people were arrested as part of the raids.

A fourth dealer who was a youth at the time of the raids is awaiting sentence this Thursday at Worcester Crown Court.

In total 18 officers were involved in the warrants, part of Operation Lyra.

The officers involved in the entry were kitted out in helmets, goggles and balaclavas as they burst through the door to handcuff the dealers and transport them in a convoy of five vehicles to Worcester Police Station.

One of the suspects covered his face with his hood as he was led away.

Crack cocaine and £2,000 of money was seized during the warrants which earned high praise from residents in the block of flats where the dealing was happening.

A children's bike could be seen in the stairwell of the block, a powerful reminder that families as well as dealers lived in the flats.

One neighbour told the reporter at the time: “It’s filth. I’m over the moon they have been arrested.

“There’s children live in this block. I think it’s appalling.

"I've seen people on the bench outside gouching (slang for people becoming drowsy under the influence of drugs)."

DI Murphy urged others to come forward and report drug dealing to the police at West Mercia on 101 or via the Crimestoppers number, 0800 555 111.