A DRUGS gang, who tried to dispose of a £40,000 slab of cocaine by hurling it straight at a police officer's feet, have been jailed for 52 years.

West Midlands Police stormed the gang's headquarters in Hagley Road West, Quinton, in September after an eight-month undercover operation to monitor the gang's movements.

Caught by surprise, and in a desperate bid to distance themselves from the drugs, they tossed the house brick-sized block of cocaine out of a first-floor window.

Unfortunately for them, the drugs fell at the feet of an officer who was forming a police containment of the ‘safe house’, used by the gang to cut, weigh and bag-up drugs.

Further enquiries led to more than £160,000 worth of cannabis being uncovered at rented houses in Brookfields Road in Oldbury, Pitcairn Road in Smethwick and Bloomfield Street West, Halesowen.

The 11-strong group of men were convicted at Birmingham Crown Court in connection with a sophisticated cocaine and cannabis supply network.

Nine of the men had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing but 27-year-old Mohammed Hussain and 26-year-old Prince Martin-Fullerton were found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs.

On Friday, April 7, the men were jailed for a total of 52 years.

Detective Constable Ben Edwards, from the Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “This was a gang of suppliers who were providing drugs in large quantities for other drug dealers in the West Midlands, Weston Super Mare and Milton Keynes.

“Their drugs empire unravelled after police spotted a drug deal in January 2016 involving a Weston Super Mare drug dealer who had travelled to Birmingham to restock his drugs line.

“Officers stopped Husssain and Martin-Fullerton in a car in Birmingham and they tried to discard drugs by hurling £4,500 worth of cocaine out of a car window.

“Four cars believed to be used by the drug runners were also seized and when forensic experts searched one of the cars, a secret compartment used to conceal drugs was found."

Martin-Fullerton was found guilty of supplying cocaine and heroin destined for the Weston Super Mare area and was jailed for 11 years.