Dealer caught carrying £30,000 of drugs in black bin bag on Leeds street
He had three kilogrammes of cannabis
A dealer was spotted by police with a bin bag full of drugs, which he threw away as he tried to outrun officers.
Sohail Ahmed was handed a suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court this week, but only after spending two months held on remand.
Officers had been patrolling Harehills on July 6 when they spotted two men stood together on Hamilton Place.
But the pair aroused suspicion when they split and began walking away from each other on seeing the police.
Ahmed was carrying the black bag and began to run when approached. He then dropped the bag.
The 25-year-old was quickly apprehended and the bag recovered. There were three vacuum-packed bags of dried cannabis weighing 3kg in total.
Expert valued the drugs between £25,740 and £30,000, if sold on the streets, prosecutor Zanisha Herbert told the court.
Ahmed, who appeared in court over a video link from HMP Leeds, admitted a charge of dealing in Class B drugs.
Mitigating, Sam Roxborough said Ahmed was using drugs at the time so became involved in selling, although said he was “under the direction of others”.
He said that prison had allowed him to come off drugs. He said Ahmed, of St Wilfrid’s Circus, Harehills, had a painting a decorating job lined up for when he was released.
Judge Neil Clark gave him an 18-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, with a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 140 hours of unpaid work to complete.