Man jailed over £80k drugs and cash haul at Walsall flat

Police uncovered a near £80,000 haul of heroin, cocaine and cash in a Black Country flat after spotting a suspected dealer leaving the block, a judge heard.

Prosecutor Mr Andrew Wilkins described the find as a 'drug warehouse' at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Ruhel Ahmed, aged 23, who was on an electronically tagged curfew while on bail for an earlier drug offence, was seized after officers spotted a car linked to him parked in Walsall on January 3, it was said.

Mr Andrew Wilkins, prosecuting said: "A front seat passenger seemed to be smoking heroin and they saw the defendant walking towards the vehicle. As the officers approached he dropped a package containing heroin." Ahmed also had a key that fitted a flat in the block he had just left in Fellows Park Gardens, Pleck, where police found more than £40,000 worth of heroin, cocaine valued at £7,400 and £30,600 cash, the court heard. Mr Wilkins continued: "Ahmed was working as a manager in charge of the day-to-day dealings of the drug store."

Almost six months earlier Ahmed had been arrested after police stopped a Toyota he was driving around the Caldmore area on July 14. A passenger in the car had £1,600 worth of heroin hidden in his clothing, revealed Mr Wilkins.

Ahmed put a mobile phone SIM card – containing text messages detailing drug deals – into his mouth but it was retrieved by police, the court heard. Drug dealing paraphernalia was later discovered at his home. Mr Christopher Loach, defending, said: "Drugs had been taken by the police and money was owed, so his involvement escalated after that because he had originally become involved to pay off his own drug debt."

Ahmed, of Wednesbury Road, Walsall, admitted possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply and supplying heroin. He was jailed for six years by Recorder Michael Burrows QC, who told him: “You said you were selling drugs for the ‘main man’ but had a significant role in the operation.”

The teenage passenger from the Toyota pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply and was given 12 months detention suspended under supervision for a year with 150 hours unpaid work.