Drug dealer 'hid his stash' in Virgin boxes

Sajid Hussain had keys to open them and a company van as part of his job, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told. An undercover police surveillance squad saw the 40-year-old drive away from his home in the Virgin vehicle on December 19 last year, revealed prosecutor Paul Reid.

They tailed married Hussain, of Aston Road, Dudley and saw him stop alongside a row of the green Virgin battery boxes in Angel Street, Dudley. Police swooped and discovered he had three bags holding up to £2,000 worth of heroin, mixing agents and a set of scales while more wraps of drugs were hidden in the socks of the defendant.

A knuckle duster, mobile phones and keys to the roadside boxes were found in the van he had been driving while more heroin was concealed in his locker at work.

Mr Reid concluded: "He was employed by Virgin Media who have numerous large road side battery boxes. He had access to these through his job and was suspected of using them to store quantities of drugs and avoid detection."

An hour before leaving his home on the night of his arrest Hussain was seen visiting the address of Mohammed Iqbal, aged 21 in Bunns Lane, Dudley and police raided that property four days later.

Officers discovered heroin from the same batch as the drugs that Hussain had in his possession. Hussain from Aston Road, Dudley admitted possession of heroin with intent to supply and having an offensive weapon. He was jailed for three years.

Iqbal pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine and wounding during an unconnected offence. He received a four and a half year sentence.

* The bust that caught Virgin Media engineer Sajid Hussain came after a two year undercover police operation called Dragon.

Detectives feared that he was using Virgin battery boxes from Wolverhampton to Dudley to hide heroin.

The surveillance had its first break on August 22 last year when police stopped a car in Engine Lane, Brierley Hill. It was driven by Hussain's 27-year-old brother Shahoon Qurban and the passengers included Mohammed Iqbal and Faisal Farooq. Officers discovered 25 wraps of heroin and cocaine along with a packet of cocaine worth £470.

Qurban from Richmond Road, Dudley and 20-year-old Farooq of Mogul Lane, Halesowen were also sentenced on Friday.

Farooq admitted possessing heroin with intent and involvement with an unrelated wounding while Qurban pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine. They were sentenced to four and three years respectively.

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