Jeremy Ball

Investigators in Derby revealed that 50 Cent wrote to a judge seeking bail for Abdirahiim Hassan so he could work on the rapper’s European tour. Hassan was later jailed for 18 and a half years for his role in national‑level cocaine trafficking uncovered through Operation Daybreak. Prosecutors detailed his involvement in moving cash and laundering drug proceeds, while police expressed surprise at the rapper’s intervention. Additional letters from 50 Cent described Hassan as a long‑time trusted colleague, though the judge denied the bail request. Hassan was one of ten men sentenced for the large‑scale drugs operation.

Six men were jailed after police discovered nearly 5,000 cannabis plants in a fortified Mansfield warehouse, marking Nottinghamshire Police’s largest cannabis seizure to date. Officers detected a strong smell of cannabis, forced entry, and found a sophisticated operation with bricked‑up entrances and extensive growing areas. The defendants, who lived in poor conditions, pleaded guilty and received sentences between 22 and 36 months. The court noted the scale and organisation of the farm while indicating the men played lesser roles in the wider operation.