Drug Dealer Caught After Laughing on Video Preparing Wraps
A County Lines drug dealer who was filmed laughing as he prepared his stash has been jailed after being caught by police officers on their lunch break.
Mohammed Nabeel was sentenced to four years and eight months at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting possessing drugs with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.
Nabeel was in a parked car and was being approached by two known drug users when they were spotted by the officers near Tesco Express on Constitutional Hill in Birmingham on February 5.
After being spotted, the parked car sped off, but the two men were detained and revealed they had received text messages advertising crack cocaine and heroin for sale.
Enquiries by the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime (ROCU) County Lines Taskforce led the force to identify Mohammed Nabeel as the sender.
A search warrant was carried out at his flat in Mint Drive in Hockley on March 9 and led officers to find a drugs hotline plus £2,000 in drugs, £10,000 cash and a kilo of cutting agent in Nabeel’s car.
A video was also found on his phone showing the 25-year-old laughing and joking as he prepared drug wraps in his kitchen.
ROCU Detective Constable Thomas Reece said: “It was a chance encounter by two officers on their lunch break that led to us uncovering a significant drugs supply line.
“It just goes to show that police officers are never off duty.
“In just over three months, we estimated Nabeel supplied around 1kg of Class A drugs to his customer base; we found around 120 contacts on his drugs phone.
“The identified drug users were sent messages in order to divert them away from drug misuse.
“Drug trafficking is a priority for us because it often involves the exploitation of children and vulnerable people, plus is linked to serious violence between drug gangs and acquisitive crime committed by users to fuel their addictions.
“Anyone who thinks getting involved in drugs supply is an easy way of making big money needs to think again.
“We are continually targeting these dealers and there’s a strong chance they will end up behind bars.”
