Heroin drugs courier jailed after armed police swoop on vehicle

A 29-YEAR-OLD Halifax man has been jailed for more than three years after armed police caught him with heroin and crack cocaine.

Bradford Crown Court heard that the officers had been acting on intelligence when they swooped on the vehicle as it travelled along Dewsbury Road in Elland back in August 2017.

Prosecutor Ken Green said Sohail Taj was a passenger in the car and as he got out a bag containing a rock of 89 per cent pure crack cocaine worth nearly £600 fell out of his shorts.

Taj, of Lister Lane, tried to run off but was arrested after a short chase and when he was searched officers seized cash totalling more than £1000 and eight packages of heroin worth about £310. He had been due to go on trial but eventually pleaded guilty to possessing the Class A drugs with intent to supply in the basis that he was acting as a courier to pay off his own drug debts.

Mr Green revealed that Taj was jailed for 45 months back in 2011 after he admitted being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

Barrister Simeon Evans, for Taj, submitted that his client had been performing a limited function under direction from others and his own drug debts were the root of his offending.

Mr Evans highlighted the substantial delay in getting the case to court and pointed out that it was now 26 months since the offence.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said Taj was playing an integral part in getting drugs into the hands of those who would supply them. He indicated the starting point for sentence was four years in jail, but Taj’s guilty plea and the delay meant it could be reduced to 38 months imprisonment.