Operation Sanctuary: Final member of sex grooming gang jailed

Nadeem Aslam was sent to prison for 12 years for drugs offences as part of Operation Shelter

The last member of a gang which plied young women with drugs and forced them to have sex has been jailed.

Last month 16 men and one woman were jailed after the Operation Sanctuary investigation into the sexual abuse of vulnerable girls in Newcastle.

Nadeem Aslam, 43, of Belle Grove West, Newcastle, was sentenced at the city's crown court to 12 years for supplying drugs to victims and allowing premises to be used for the supply of drugs.

The convictions followed four trials.

Twenty women, some as young as 14, gave evidence.

Left to right, row by row, starting top left: Eisa Mousavi, Mohammed Ali, Nashir Uddin, Monjur Choudhury, Taherul Alam, Habibur Rahim, Badrul Hussain, Carolann Gallon, Saiful Islam, AbdulHamid Minoyee, Prabhat Nelli, Abdul Sabe, Jahangir Zaman, Nadeem Aslam, Mohammed Azram, Yassar Hussain, Redwan Siddquee, Mohibur Rahman

Members of the network were found guilty of charges including rape, supplying drugs and conspiracy to incite prostitution.

Aslam was cleared of sexual offences by a jury at an earlier hearing.

The men were from the Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, Iraqi, Iranian and Turkish communities and were mainly British-born, with most living in the West End of Newcastle.

During the investigation Northumbria Police said it paid a child rapist more than £10,000 to act as an informant.