Smethwick man jailed after running from officers during drug arrest
A man from Smethwick has been locked up after he tried to run away from officers while being handcuffed over drug offences in Staffordshire.
Tanashi Sam, aged 39, of Cuin Road, was sentenced to three years and nine months behind bars at Stafford Crown Court after admitting two counts of possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin and two counts of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.
On February 2 last year, Staffordshire Police investigated reports of suspicious activity on Ellerbeck in Tamworth.
Officers spotted Sam in the area and detained him for a search.
He initially stopped for officers but then tried to escape by running down a nearby cycle track.
Officers said they watched him try to throw away packages of drugs into hedges before he came back.
These packages were seized, along with a mobile phone, and they were found to contain heroin and crack cocaine.
He was also found in possession of £135 and a quantity of cannabis.
Sam was interviewed and then released under investigation.
Then, on October 7 this year, police officers saw Sam in Tamworth again.
He ran away when they approached him and tried to discard a drug package nearby.
The package was recovered and police found 34 deals of heroin and 59 deals of crack cocaine worth around £635.
Officers arrested him and recovered a further mobile phone and £154 in cash.
He was later charged in relation to offences committed on both occasions and then admitted them in court.
Detective Sergeant Jon Bradbury, who dealt with the case, said: "Sam tried to escape officers twice and made efforts to hide his criminality in order to avoid punishment.
"I'm happy that these substances have been taken off our streets and another offender has been rightfully put behind bars."
