A DRUG dealer has been jailed after he was caught supplying heroin in a major undercover police operation.

Nahzeeb Hussain pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying the drug to undercover officers, who were working as part of the police’s Operation Maxima campaign, which saw 10 people jailed in March.

Bolton Crown Court heard how on three occasions in April and May last year, officers called a mobile phone number referred to as “the Shiv line” and spoke to Hussain to place an order for drugs.

On each occasion the 24-year-old, of Brazley Avenue, Great Lever, then drove to meet the undercover officers in Farnworth and supplied them with small quantities of heroin.

When officers executed a warrant to search Hussain’s house in July they found a Samsung mobile phone, which was deemed to be the phone used for the Shiv line.

He initially told police the phone had been left at his house by a friend and entered not guilty pleas to any charges, before reversing his decision and pleading guilty to the three counts on the first day of his trial at Bolton Crown Court in April.

The court heard Hussain has previously served an 18 month sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine when he was 17 Defending, Paul O’Brien said: “His role was fulfilling an operational function within a chain — he supplied drugs on behalf of another and he regards this as the biggest mistake of his life.”

Sentencing Hussain to four and a half years in prison, Judge Elliot Knopf, said: “This is not the first occasion that you have been before the courts for sentence in respect of supplying class A drugs.

“You should have learned your lesson and I hope you will take this on board going forward for your sake and your family’s sake.”