A County Lines drug dealer made more than 16,000 calls and texts to advertise crack cocaine and heroin to contacts across the region, a court has heard.

Ali Hussain, from Bolton, played a "managerial" and "organisational" role in the supply of the Class A drugs over the course of almost six months last year.

On September 20, the 36-year-old was arrested at his address on Lonsdale Road where he lived with his wife and their three children. Both crack cocaine and heroin were discovered in his bedroom.

At Bolton Crown Court this week prosecutor Hunter Gray said he made more than 16,000 calls and texts to advertise them to contacts across Greater Manchester on a County Line called the AJ Line.

Mr Gray said: "On September 20, a warrant was executed at his address. He was detained in the hallway. His wife and their three children were present and the AJ Line was recovered. 

"The police searched the address and found crack cocaine and heroin. They found the drugs in a box in the defendant's bedroom."

Hussain answered no comment at interview but he admitted the charges of concern in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

Mitigating, Kevin Liston said the Amazon UK worker, who has no criminal record, fell into financial difficulties due to the use of cannabis and as a result fell into "the seedy world of supply".

The Bolton News: Bolton Crown Court

Mr Liston said: "I am instructed to ask Your Honour to consider a suspended sentence. I accept the request is unusual but it is based upon the [pre-sentence] report and the impact on his wife of 12 years and their three children.

"His wife is unemployed and in his absence she would be left in a financial storm. For those reasons the court is asked to consider whether any consideration can be given whatsoever to the proposal in the [pre-sentence] report."

Sentencing, Recorder Graham Wells said there was no way a suspended sentence was the appropriate sentence.

Hussain was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Recorder Wells said: "The quantity of messages shows how serious this was. 

"With each call, each text, dealing drugs which do such damage to society.

"The harm was clearly significant and the involvement was clearly significant in a managerial role, an organisational role.

"There is no way given the scale this could ever get down to the two-year maximum which would enable me to suspend the sentence so you are going to prison."

Proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act are anticipated on a date to be determined.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.