Drug dealer jailed after £200k hidden cocaine stash found in car
A drug dealer has been jailed for almost 10 years after police found a stash of cocaine worth £280,000 concealed in a secret compartment of his car.
Mohammed Shazad was monitored by police making repeated, suspicious visits to a Nissan Qashqai parked, in Middlemore Road, Smethwick, close to the The Hawthorns.
Officers from West Midlands Police arrested the 37-year-old on February 7 this year – and when the Qashqai was examined they found 10 1kg blocks of cocaine in a hide built beneath the rear seats.
Forensics experts examined the packages and confirmed some of the cocaine had a purity of around 99 per cent – and with a conservative value of £280,000.
At Birmingham Crown Court on Monday Shazad, of Holly Road, Handsworth, was jailed for nine years and 10 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Detective Inspector Michelle Keidron from ROCU, said: “Shazad was seen to make a number of visits to the car and come away with packages; he was arrested from another vehicle but found to be in possession of the Nissan Qashqai key.
“Under the rear seats was a secret hide – taking up part of the fuel tank space – operated with a sophisticated electronic lock. Inside was 10kg of cocaine plus weighing scales and some wraps of white powder.
“It was clearly his dealer car. He wanted to distance himself from the drugs and created a clever secret compartment that wasn’t noticeable on first inspection.
“He was dealing drugs on a significant scale and, no doubt, creating great harm in communities effected by his criminality. This is a very strong jail sentence and one that sends out a clear message: deal drugs and expect to spend a long time behind bars.”
