Wholesale drug dealer returns to face justice

EXTRADITED FROM SWEDEN AFTER GIVING HIMSELF UP

A WHOLESALE heroin and crackcocaine dealer operating was extradited from Sweden to face justice.

Mohamed Samankar was arrested in connection with the supply of about £36,000 of class A drugs, but fled the UK when released under investigation and a European arrest warrant was issued.

After almost a year on the run, the 28-year-old surrendered himself to a police officer in Sweden on February 20 and was brought back to Leicester.

Samankar, pictured, of no fixed address, was said to have worked in tandem with fellow wholesale dealer Tanzim Suka, who was jailed last June for six years for his part in the operation centred on the St Matthew’s estate in Leicester.

The two were caught after unknowingly selling high-purity deals to an undercover police officer.

Samankar, who arranged some of the deals over the phone with the covert officer, and made a few transactions personally, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine, between November 2018 and March 2019.

Sentencing him at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Martin Hurst said Samankar had been selling deals of between 7g and 250g to the “brave” undercover officer, referred to as Mo.

The judge said: “It was high purity, up to 91 per cent on occasions.

“The drugs you supplied were worth £26,000 wholesale and £36,000 retail.

“I’m told that you got cold feet and disappeared to your country of birth, Sweden – although you weren’t on bail you’d been released under investigation by police.

“Your co-accused, Mr Suka, appeared in court on his own in June last year and was sentenced separately.”

James Horne, prosecuting, said both men were involved either together or separately in about 10 transactions, some when Samankar was out of the country and Suka acted alone.

Deals were conducted in various city locations, including several in Ottawa Close, St Matthew’s, near 29-year-old Suka’s home, and one rendezvous with the undercover officer was at St George’s Retail Park.

Graham James, mitigating for Samankar, who appeared via a video link from prison, said his client did not have any relevant drug-related previous convictions on his record.

He said: “When he discovered there was an arrest warrant he approached a Swedish police officer in the street, told him he was wanted in the UK, and was arrested.

“People on the run don’t find it easy to cope with mentally and he’s got a large number of family members in this country.

“Some of his relatives have attended court.

“He’s written a letter to the court expressing remorse.”

Samankar was jailed for five years and four months.