Two members of a sex grooming gang in Rochdale have lost a long-running appeal against being deported to Pakistan.
51-year-old Adil Khan and 52-year-old Qari Abdul Rauf were part of a nine-member gang that groomed dozens of girls for sex in the Greater Manchester town for two years in the late 2000s, before they were eventually convicted for child sex offences back in May 2012.
The gang operated for two years from 2008, and were found to have been plying girls as young as 12 with alcohol and drugs and gang-raping them at various locations – sometimes “pimping” them out for money.
As many as 47 girls were abused, according to Greater Manchester Police.
Among the convictions, Khan got a 13-year-old girl pregnant, but denied he was the father, and then met another girl, 15, and trafficked her for others to abuse, often using violence when she complained, while father-of-five Rauf trafficked a 15-year-old girl and drove her to secluded areas to sexually abuse her in his taxi, and then move her to a flat in Rochdale where he and others abused her.
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All nine men were jailed for their part in the gang.
After being freed from jail in 2014 and 2016 respectively, Rauf and Khan then began a long campaign to try and avoid being deported from UK to Pakistan after their British citizenship was revoked, citing article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights – which is the right to a private and family life.
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Khan had argued at his last hearing in June that he shouldn’t be deported because his son needed a role model, and lawyers for the pair also argued they were “stateless” due to the fact they had certificates showing renouncement their Pakistani citizenship.
But immigration judges ruled their challenge against deportation on human rights grounds had failed.
Judges said Khan had shown a “breathtaking lack of remorse”, and that there was a “very strong public interest” in both men being kicked out, in a decision that was made in August and has been released publicly today.
Home Office lawyers argued that the case had taken a “very long time” to get to this point, and it was now in the public interest to deport both men “as soon as possible”.
In April, Greater Manchester Police apologised to three victims, with the police force admitting that officers “could and should have done much more” to protect them and that “we let you down,” – but campaigners criticised the apology for being “10 years too late”.
Featured Image – GMP
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‘Groundbreaking’ new police team launches on Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world
Emily Sergeant
A ‘groundbreaking’ new policing model aimed at making the Bee Network one of the safest public transport networks in the world has launched.
Described as being ‘pioneering’, the first-of-its-kind approach – named the Transport Policing and Crime Command (TPACC) – will bring Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) even closer together to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour, and safety issues across the region’s transport network.
So, how will it work then? Well, according to TfGM, the command will ‘effectively establish’ the Bee Network as GMP’s eleventh policing district.
It will bring together up to 300 personnel, including new police officers, who are all involved in keeping the network safe and providing greater reassurance to passengers travelling across the region.
Efforts to keep passengers safe on buses, trams, active travel routes, and roads across Greater Manchester will be ‘strengthened’ through the new team – improving co-ordination in response to incidents, and helping to reassure communities.
A ‘groundbreaking’ new police team has launched on the Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world / Credit: TfGM
The new team will also incorporate the existing Roads Policing Unit within GMP that includes specialist functions such as the Central Ticket Office, the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit, the motorbike unit, the Commercial Vehicle Unit, the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, and more.
Overall, the key focus of TPACC is to:
Increase public confidence on safety across the transport network
Reduce violence, antisocial behaviour and criminality across the transport network
Increase the number of users of the Bee Network across Greater Manchester
The launch of TPACC is said to represents ‘the next phase’ of Greater Manchester’s commitment to creating a ‘safer, more secure, and more welcoming’ transport network for everyone who lives, works, and travels across the region.
“I want a world-class Bee Network where everyone feels safe,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“Our new dedicated transport policing command will bring together more than 300 police and safety officers, with high-profile patrols across our roads and the Bee Network. It means a stronger presence in our communities and faster action when people need help.
“TPACC will also crack down on dangerous driving to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads, which have devastating consequences for families and communities.”
Featured Image – TfGM
News
Two arrested after assaulting and burgling 90-year-old woman in Stockport suburb
Emily Sergeant
Two people have been arrested following reports of an assault and burglary at a 90-year-old woman’s home in a Stockport suburb.
While en-route to the incident in Heald Green – which was reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at around 2:30am on 29 October – officers located the victim’s vehicle being driven by an unknown man.
The stolen vehicle made off from police before it lost control, went up a grass verge, and collided with a stationary vehicle.
Police confirmed that a white British man, aged 41, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of a burglary and serious assault, while a white British woman, aged 47, was also later arrested on suspicion of burglary and serious assault – with both remaining in custody for questioning.
The victim, a 90-year-old woman, was taken to hospital for treatment and is being supported by specialist officers, although luckily, her injuries are not life-threatening.
Enquiries are now ongoing, and officers are working to establish the full circumstances of the shocking incident.
“This was undoubtedly a traumatic experience for the victim, and we have specialist officers supporting her through this investigation,” explained Detective Inspector Craig Turner, from Stockport CID.
“This was a violent burglary and thanks to the brave victim reporting it, our officers made two swift arrests with the suspects taken into police custody to be interviewed.
“We believe this was a targeted attack and there is no wider risk to the community. Extra patrols of officers have been deployed to the area to offer reassurance to members of the community. Please let them know if you have any concerns.
“We are committed to tackling dangerous offenders and keeping our communities safe from harm.”
The Manc -
27th October 2022 
