‘RIDICULOUS’ HEROIN DEALER THOUGHT HE WAS ‘SELLING SWEETS’
Police officers caught teenager, 16, red-handed peddling drugs
TEENAGE drug-dealer Zhair Iqbal was branded ‘ridiculous’ by a judge – after claiming he thought he was selling sweets.
The 18-year-old was arrested after being caught red-handed peddling heroin and crack cocaine.
Officers also seized £254.50 and two phones – one of which contained messages linking him to the supply of cannabis.
Now Iqbal has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, at Stoke-on-trent Crown Court.
He was stopped and searched by police at 10am on May 16, 2019.
Prosecutor Jonathan Dickinson said: “The police received reports that Asian males were dealing class A drugs in the area of Hempstalls Lane, Newcastle.
“Police searched the defendant and found two mobiles. He had 22 wraps of heroin and four wraps of crack cocaine with a potential street value of £260. The defendant also had £254.50.
“The phones were sent for analysis. One of them was linked to a county lines drugs supply gang operating from Wolverhampton. ‘Boss’ had texted the defendant on the day of his arrest with a postcode, and then made a call.”
Iqbal, of Floyd Street, Shelton, pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply and being concerned in making an offer to supply a class B drug to another.
Barry White, mitigating, said: “He accepts the offences. He is remorseful. He acknowledges the stupidity of his actions. He has no previous for drugs.”
Iqbal is in the final year of a mechanics course. His suspended sentence includes a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month electronicallymonitored curfew from 9pm to 6am.
The court heard Iqbal was ‘actively involved in drug trafficking’.
Judge Paul Glenn told him: “You were 16 at the time of the offences. That is particularly important.
“The comments you made in your pre-sentence report are absolutely ridiculous, most particularly a suggestion that you thought you were selling sweets. You have sought to minimise your own offending and cover up the actions of others.
“I do not accept for a moment that you were threatened in this case, nor exploited. You remain an immature young man.”
The judge ordered the forfeiture of the £254.50 and the two phones. He also ordered Iqbal to pay £350 towards court costs.