Drug dealer's driver jailed for three years

Arman Ali, 22, of Brickhouse Lane, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to being concerned in the supply of the two class A drugs.

He was acting as a driver at the time for ‘third strike’ dealer Janade Tariq, who was jailed for five years and eight months at an earlier hearing.

Prosecutor Simon Hunka said that on March 15 the two men were seen in Leamington in a Renault Clio, with Ali driving and Tariq in the front passenger seat.

As officers kept watch on it a known drug user approached the passenger window, and an exchange was seen to take place with Tariq before the addict walked away and the car drove off.

A little later the police found the Clio parked in St Mary’s Road, with Ali alone in it, and he was arrested.

The officers searched the area, where they knew drug-dealing took place from time-to-time, and as they walked down an alleyway they saw Tariq walking back towards the car.

When he saw them, Tariq, who had two previous convictions for dealing in heroin and crack, turned and ran, throwing away four packages as he did so, but was caught and arrested.

The officers recovered the packages which were found to contain 63 wraps of heroin and 92 wraps of crack, worth a total of £1,550 in street deals.

Tariq, 27, of Wash Lane, Yardley, Birmingham, had £2,595 in cash on him, while a further £4,000 was found in the glove compartment of the car.

And messages on phones seized from the two men showed that Ali had been assisting Tariq by driving him around, knowing he was dealing, added Mr Hunka.

Jailing Ali following an adjournment for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on him, Judge Anthony Potter told him there could be no alternative to an immediate prison sentence, despite his lesser role.