Huge haul found at drug dealer’s home
Court Reporter A LAUGHING gas dealer caught peddling nitrous oxide at a city centre university had 36,000 canisters of it at his home.
Siavash Taheri had attracted the suspicions of security staff at Northumbria University by visiting at late hours in his black Nissan Qashqai.
When he pulled up to do a deal with a female student last May, staff watched on CCTV as the exchange took place.
Police were called in and, when officers went to Taheri’s home, they found 36,600 canisters of nitrous oxide in 61 large boxes, plus boxes of whipped cream, which contain the substance, and lots of balloons, which are used to inhale it.
A court heard Taheri initially had access to the gas – which does have legitimate uses – for work purposes and had sold it on market stalls.
But it was made illegal in 2016 and is now classed as a psychoactive drug.
Now the 43-yearold, who once appeared on a BBC documentary about laughing gas and has been working as an Uber driver, has been given a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court for drugs supply charges. It was on May 11 last year that Taheri went to the university at around 2.50am after being contacted by a student, who referred to him as the “Noz man”, asking for supplies. He gave her £40 of the laughing gas and the student later said it was not the first time he had given her the drugs. She was stopped by a security guard who searched her bag and found it. Later that morning, police went to Taheri’s home to speak to him. Emma Dowling, prosecuting, said: “He confirmed he had been driving the vehicle in the early hours of the morning. “They searched his home and found 61 large boxes of 36,600 canisters of nitrous oxide, 36 boxes of whipped cream and two large bags of balloons. “The defendant denied supplying nitrous oxide. He said he had the cream for cakes and coffee and denied selling items for human consumption. “He said he bought the items in bulk and sold them at markets and various stalls. “He denied selling them to students and said they were for sale in the retail industry.” Miss Dowling added: “Footage was put to him from a BBC documentary where he had been seen explaining how to use the substance recreationally, at a time when it was not illegal, in 2016.
“He said he didn’t know there was anything wrong. It was criminalised in the intervening period.”
Taheri, of Benwell Hall Drive, Benwell, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to supplying a psychoactive substance and possessing nitrous oxide with intent to supply.
Imposing nine months suspended for two years, Judge Sarah Mallett told him: “It’s of significance that the material in the documentary the police were able to find from 2016 shows that you knew, and always have known, the use to which nitrous oxide was put.”
The judge said the drugs found at his home were worth approximately £12,000.
Tony Cornberg, defending, said: “Unlike heroin, cocaine and ketamine, there are various legitimate uses for nitrous oxide and he was engaged in selling this product for legitimate purposes.
“It’s easy to say that, but he was working for a company and has pay slips to prove it.
“He seems to be someone who has taken the opportunity of being in a legitimate trade.
“He could say it could be used to froth coffee but he was selling it through a car window at 3am.”
Mr Cornberg said Taheri had arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker having had problems with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after intervening in a neighbour issue in his homeland. He was tortured and shot twice, the court heard.