A DEALER in ‘bubble’ from Accrington claimed it was a case of mistaken identity when police raided his home and he was caught with bags of the drug and incriminating text messages.

Officers executed a search warrant at the Stanley Street home of Mazier Fazaldad and initially found two cloth pouches in his pockets, containing 28 small bags of mephedrone, otherwise known as ‘bubble’, six bags of amphetamines and half an ounce of cocaine, Burnley Crown Court heard.

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When police searched the rest of the property, they found two more half-ounce bags of cocaine and another three wraps of cannabis, the court was told.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said officers also located a mobile phone containing text messages, supposedly relating to drug dealing.

Fazaldad claimed a taxi driver called Mazur Hussain had given him the drugs to mind, shortly before the police arrived.

Mr Parker said when questioned about why he had hidden the drugs, Fazaldad said he was due to play cards with friends and he didn’t want them to ‘help themselves’.

The court heard two people approached the property while police were there.

One man had money in his hand but when an officer went to the door he cycled away. Another woman turned up, shouting for ‘Maz’, but left when an officer went into the back yard.

Questioned by defence counsel Ken Hind, Fazaldad insisted he had only been a ‘minder’ for the drugs and the mobile phone, with the ‘Maz’ messages, belonged to the absent Mr Hussain.

Fazaldad told the court Hussain had given him a gram of cocaine and then given him the pouches to look after before leaving and claimed he had arranged for people to come to his house for drug deals.

“At the time I thought I would put them in my cupboard. I thought I would move them out of people’s eyesight. It is usual to do that,” he said.

Jailing him for 27 months after he admitted possession of mephedrone and amphetamines with intent to supply, Judge Beverly Lunt rejected the defendant’s explanation after a brief hearing.