Nashir Uddin

Nashir Uddin, from Joan Street in Newcastle's West End, was sentenced to 11 and a half years' imprisonment at Newcastle Crown Court as part of Operation Sanctuary, Northumbria Police's investigation into a drugs and grooming ring that forced vulnerable young women into sexual acts. The operation led to the conviction of 17 men and one woman for offences including conspiracy to incite prostitution, rape, and drug supply, targeting mainly white teenage girls aged 15 or 16.

The court learned of the gang's activities centred around Uddin's flat, where all-night parties fuelled by drugs like cannabis and mephedrone created a hub for exploitation. A mother living above the property testified that the constant noise from bottles clinking and sexual activities made her life 'hell', with the smell of cannabis seeping into her home where she lived with her young son. She described taxis arriving frequently, sometimes four at a time, with drivers entering the flat with girls who would leave the next morning around 07:30, appearing dishevelled. John Elvidge QC, prosecuting, highlighted how locals observed these patterns, noting the girls' vulnerability and the gang's use of substances to control them.

Uddin's specific offences included supplying drugs to victims to facilitate their abuse and involvement in the conspiracy to incite prostitution, enabling the sexual exploitation across multiple addresses in Newcastle. This sentencing on 6 September 2017 followed the jailing of ten other gang members, with more scheduled for the following day. The case, reported by the BBC, exposed the network's operations, including how perpetrators like Uddin contributed to the coercion and trafficking of minors for sexual purposes, leaving lasting trauma on the victims.

Judge Penny Moreland's court emphasised the organised nature of the crimes, with evidence from police investigations revealing payments of over £10,000 to informants, including a child rapist, to dismantle the ring. The proceedings detailed the girls being made 'mortal drunk' and passed between abusers, underscoring the severity of the exploitation in Newcastle's community.