POLICE officers thanked members of a community who helped detectives shut down a major drug dealing gang in Oxford and jail four family members.

Brothers Nadeem Ahmed, 35, Wasim Ahmed, 33, and Arshad Ahmed, 40, were sentenced with their 77-year-old father Din Ahmed for a combined total of more than 20 years this week.

The family members flooded the city with heroin and crack cocaine and dealt to thousands of drug addicts out of their East Oxford home.

Detective Inspector Steven Jones, of Thames Valley Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said he hoped residents in the surrounding neighbourhood would see the benefits of the gang being locked up.

He said: "This is a very good result for the Serious and Organised Crime Unit. The Ahmeds sought fit to live out a life of supplying drugs on a large scale, and had a detrimental effect on the community around them.

"Thames Valley Police would like to thank the community for their support during this investigation and these sentences reflect the serious nature of these crimes."

Dealing high purity heroin and cocaine across the city and from their Hurst Street home, the Ahmeds' criminal enterprise was infiltrated by an undercover police officer, codenamed Rich, who discovered their drug telephone line and gathered evidence to bring them to justice.

Rich discovered the use of a ‘Rugrats line’, a mobile phone number named after the 1990’s children’s TV series, which they used to deal Class A substances thousands of times between August 8, 2016 and January 24 this year.

Judge Peter Ross told Oxford Crown Court how they inflicted misery on the community through their ‘evil trade’.

Nadeem Ahmed and Wasim Ahmed were jailed for seven years and six months and six years and eight months respectively. Their older brother Arshad Ahmed and father Din Ahmed were jailed for four years each for their part in the illegal enterprise.

All four pleaded guilty to drugs offences, with Wasim Ahmed also admitting possessing criminal property.

Superintendent Joe Kidman, LPA commander for Oxford, said the policing team was very pleased with the conviction and substantial sentence.

He added: "It comes after many months of focused investigation and the support of members of the local community.

"It shows that operations such as this can improve quality of life for local people whose lives can be blighted by drug dealing.

"It also means we can reduce the supply of drugs, which ruin the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our city."

Sentencing, Judge Peter Ross said the gang’s dealing clearly had an impact on the community, saying he knew first-hand the ‘misery’ the ‘evil trade’ caused members of the public.

The family dealt heroin at a high purity of between 35 and 60 per cent. It is usually found in the low 20s.

Prosecuting Matthew Walsh said the undercover officer came across the ‘Rugrats line’ after speaking to drug users.

The phone was later analysed and showed 552 unique numbers with an average of 62 incoming and 66 outgoing calls per day on its records.

Police also found a total of £44,470 in cash at the property in various wrapped up bundles, mostly hidden in the floorboards. There were also numerous wraps of heroin and cocaine left at the house.

Det Insp Jones added the operation was part of TVP's campaign Stronghold, which asks members of the community to work in partnership to tackle drug crime.

He added: "Only with continued information from the members of the public can we tackle the issue of serious organised crime."