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Smethwick addict caught red-handed with wraps of heroin

An Smethwick drug addict who agreed to deliver more than £400 of heroin which was due to be sold on the streets was caught red-handed by police, a court heard.

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Kaspars Mihailovs, aged 33, aroused officers' suspicions by his general appearance and behaviour while walking through Smethwick, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Earlier he had been to see a dealer, suffering with 'significant withdrawal symptoms', said Mr Andrew Tucker, prosecuting. He was told he would be rewarded with drugs if he delivered a package of heroin containing 43 individual wraps to an address.

But on the way, Latvian-born Mihailovs became aware he was being followed by two police officers. He tried to escape, chucking the heroin bundle under a car, but he was caught in Edward Road and arrested. The drugs were recovered.

Judge Dean Kershaw said it was clear that he had been 'taken advantage of' by those who could have helped by giving him a drugs fix without putting him in danger of arrest.

But he added that the defendant knew it was likely that the heroin he was carrying was bound for the streets, even though he was not personally dealing it.

Mihailovs, of Forrester Street, Smethwick, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin on January 12 this year with intent to supply. He was given a community order for 12 months with a 35-day rehabilitation requirement and instructed to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

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