Drug dealer claimed he was helping pay off brother’s debts

A CANNABIS dealer from Derby claims he was selling drugs to pay off a debt incurred by his brother.

But a judge told Razza Mustafa he was not convinced by his argument as officers found more than £6,000 at his home.

Derby Crown Court heard officers stopped a car the 25-year-old was driving in London Road, at 9.30pm on January 16, 2019.

Sarah Slater, prosecuting, said: “They were suspicious by the way he behaved as he only lowered the window slightly and started to smoke a cigarette. They asked him to get out of the car and asked him if he had anything on him.

“He replied he had ‘lots of money and a bit of bud in the car’ and a search recovered 10 £20 deals and some £750 in cash.”

Miss Slater said five mobile phones were also found. Officers then searched his home in Olivier Street where larger amounts of both cannabis and money were found. In total 81.7g of the class B drug were recovered which she said had a street value of up to £800. Digital scales, dealer bags and £6,330 cash were also seized.

Miss Slater said: “The phones were analysed by a drugs expert and they show he was dealing cannabis at a street level. The messages went back around a week but we would say he was dealing

before then due to the amount of drugs and cash that were recovered.”

Mustafa pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply a class B drug.

Recorder Mark Watson questioned why it had taken almost two years to bring the case “for someone caught red-handed”.

Miss Slater replied other cases may have taken priority as it took the force’s drugs expert 11 months to provide a report for the Crown Prosecution Service to consider charges. The pandemic then may have accounted for why it then took another year to come to court.

Handing Mustafa a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for 18

months, Recorder Watson said: “You were part of a larger enterprise and you were set up and ready to supply multiple customers with different weights.

“You have since provided an account to the probation service you became involved to pay off your brother’s debt but there was a large amount of cash, digital scales, a number of mobile phones and the cannabis. What happens to the money is yet to be resolved.”

Matt Haynes, for Mustafa, said his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, where a decision will be made about the £6,330 which was seized, was set for March 2021.