A man wanted for drug dealing was arrested as he boarded a plane for Morocco.
Owais Hassanjee, 29, was wearing £6,000 worth of designer clothing - with price labels still on some of the garments - when he was nabbed just as he was about to fly out of the UK on November 11 2019.
A receipt found among his belongings showed he had paid £2,354 in cash for four Gucci, Fendi and DSO garments from the Flannels store in Leicester.
Hassanjee was taken back to his address in Park End Road, Gloucester, by police who found £1,720 worth of crack cocaine in an ashtray there, Gloucester crown court was told.
Hassanjee, now of Woodlea Road, Blackburn, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack coke in Gloucester on July 10, 2019 and was jailed for four years.
The court heard it was thanks to the arrest of another man in Gloucester on July 10th 2019 for an unrelated matter that evidence showing Hassanjee's involvement in drug dealing was found.
In the man's rucksack was £22,000 worth of Class A drugs along with a mobile phone that, after examination, indicated Hassanjee was the man's drug dealing controller.
Prosecutor Stephen Dent said: “The evidence on the phone revealed that Hassanjee was using the street dealer as his runner in Gloucester. An arrest warrant was issued and Hassanjee was detained at Gatwick Airport on November 11th 2019 wearing £6,000 worth of designer clothing before he was able to board the plane.
“Police then escorted him back to his then address in Park End Road in Gloucester where they found £1,720 worth of crack cocaine in an ashtray.
“A second, unscheduled visit, a month later at Hassanjee’s home address found that he was in possession of a mobile phone with 220 contacts listed in all areas across Gloucestershire. A duplicate SIM card was found above a door frame. "
Jollyon Robertson, defending said: “Hassanjee has a serious drug addiction which has affected him in many different ways.
"He attempted to jump out of an upstairs window when the police returned but he was restrained by his mother.
“His offending was driven because of his own drug habit. "
The judge, Recorder James Waddington QC, said to Hassanjee: “You were convicted for a similar drugs offence in 2011 for which you were jailed for four years.
“However eight years later a man in Gloucester was detained in a non-drug related arrest and part of that investigation revealed your name on a phone in respect of drug dealing.
“However, what perturbs me is that it disposes of your suggestion that your drug dealing was a one-off occurrence.
“When you were arrested at Gatwick Airport you still had the price tags on the designer clothing you were wearing, these items were valued at £6,000.
“Your offending was significant because the amount involved is substantial.
“I’ve taken into account your drug addiction which has limited value in mitigation for which you pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charges.
“It was your choice to deal in drugs which was mainly to fund your own habit.”
The judge sentenced Hassanjee to four years imprisonment and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and mobile phone.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel