'Desperate' Leeds Festival dealer hid drugs in his underwear to avoid detection
A drug dealer who was found with hundreds of pounds worth of illegal drugs in his underwear claimed it was a “one-off” so he could raise much-needed money.
Nathan Kalala said he had his ID stolen and struggled to find work as a result, so resorted to selling the illegal substances at Leeds Festival in the summer.
But the judge at Leeds Crown Court told him it “had to be jail” to send out a message to others willing to smuggle lucrative drugs into the annual Bramham Park event.
Due to the enclosed nature of the event - which attract up to 90,000 music lovers each year - drugs can fetch twice the expected street prices. Several dealers caught selling at the festival have already received custodial sentences.
It was heard that security staff had witnessed what looked like an exchange of pills take place near the festival’s “green” campsite on August 23. Twenty minutes later, Kalala was detained, along with another male.
Kalala was found to have four mobile phones on him and small bags of cocaine. He was taken to Stainbeck Police Station where he was found to be concealing more bags of cocaine in his underwear, along with MDMA pills, MDMA in crystal form and bags of ketamine.
One of his phones contained clear messages related to dealing. The 24-year-old later admitted two counts of supplying Class A drugs - MDMA and cocaine - and one of supplying the Class B drug, ketamine. He was also found with a small quantity of cannabis, for which he admitted a possession of a Class B drug charge. He has no previous convictions.
Kalala, of Burley Road, Leeds, was interviewed by police and gave no comments. Kalala later told a probation officer he had his ID stolen and was struggling to make money. He said he borrowed the money for a ticket for the Leeds Festival and was “desperate” at the time so sold drugs.
He admitted to having a cannabis habit. Mitigating, Ed Youlton said: “He has come prepared for a custodial sentence and has brought a bag with him.”
He said that Kalala had since enrolled on a computer science course at Leeds Beckett University and volunteered at a local church. He admitted he made a “stupid mistake”.
Judge Tahir Khan KC told Kalala: “It’s plain to me that you were performing a significant role to supply drugs with an expectation of significant gain.
“It has to be immediate custody to punish you for your involvement in the illegal trade of Class A and Class B drug dealing, and to deter others.”
He handed him a three-year jail term.