“We regularly see the harm that drugs cause"
Mohammed Arshad, aged 50, of Bradford, was jailed for 45 months for his involvement in the transportation of £100,000 worth of cocaine.
He has passed one kilogram of the high-purity drug to Caroline Pearson, who was travelling to Wales with it when drugs officers who had her under surveillance swooped.
On September 11, 2019, at 11:20 am, Pearson was driving a black Vauxhall Astra along the A650 Bradford and Shipley Road when she was stopped by a marked police patrol car.
Pearson had been under observation while collecting the cocaine from Arshad’s address in Cliffe Road, Undercliffe.
Pearson, aged 48, of Derbyshire, denied possession of the drug with intent to supply but was convicted at Bradford Crown Court.
She was jailed for six-and-a-half years.
Detective Inspector Lee Fletcher, of the Regional Organised Crime Unit, said:
“We regularly see the harm that drugs cause both to individual users and to our communities and the associated crime they bring to ordinary people’s lives.
“We hope the significant prison sentence Pearson received today will serve to reassure the community that we do and will continue to target those involved in drugs.
“I also hope it will provide some reassurance to the community and illustrate our ongoing commitment to targeting those who think they can profit from the destructive trade in drugs.”
It was heard that Arshad was spotted opening the front door of the Astra and putting the package on the front seat.
The package contained one kilogram of cocaine of 90% purity. If sold in one gram deals, it had a potential street value of £100,000.
Stephen Wood QC explained that Arshad held the package with a cloth before putting it on the front seat of the car.
The high-purity of the drug was said to be an important factor of the offence.
Arshad pleaded guilty to supplying the drugs to Pearson.
Rodney Ferm said in mitigation that Arshad knew he faced a prison sentence for the first time but said:
“There has been a great deal of good in this man. This is a single occasion, he is not a man accustomed to this.”
Mr Ferm went on to say that Arshad had a “fall from grace” and had “acted out of character”.
He added that his client had learnt his lesson.
Judge Jonathan Rose told Arshad:
“You knew full well what you were doing. If you lay down with dogs, you know how you get up.”
“You chose to involve yourself in this.
“It is because of the high value and high purity of these drugs, the sentence must be as substantial as it is.”
The Telegraph and Argus reported that Arshad was sentenced to 45 months in prison.
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