Known dealer caught carrying two kgs of cocaine worth £200,000 in a carrier bag along Leeds street
A known dealer was caught carrying two kilogrammes of cocaine worth £200,000 in a carrier bag in Leeds.
Anh Hoang, who has served two lengthy previous sentences of dealing, was being monitored by a “serious crime unit”, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Following his arrest, they found £24,000 worth of designer clothing at his home on Copgrove Road in Gipton.
The 48-year-old admitted dealing in Class A drugs.
Prosecutor Erin Kitson-Parker said that officers moved in to stop and search Hoang on January 3 as he wandered along the street not far from his home.
The carrier bag contained two 1kg blocks of cocaine. He also had two phones on him and £288 in cash.
He initially refused to provide the code to enter the block of flats, but they eventually got inside. They found wraps of white and brown powder strewn around the living room, scales with a white residue on them, and a razor blade.
There was £420 in a wallet and the extensive collection of designer clothing with a retail value of £24,000.
The phones were analysed and contained clear requests for drugs from users.
Hoang, who appeared in court over a video link from HMP Leeds, has 20 previous convictions for 68 offences.
This includes dealing in Class A drugs, for which he received a five-year sentence, and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, for which he received an 11-year sentence.
Mitigating for his latest offences, Kara Frith said Hoang is “primarily a low-level street dealer” but conceded: “He knew what he was getting involved in and knew the risks.”
She added: “He is angry at himself, he has let himself down, his family and his children.”
She said he had lost his job and struggled to get another, adding: “He gave into temptation. It seemed a quick-fix to support himself and his children. He accepts he has to live with the consequences.”
Judge Kate Rayfield sentenced Hoang to six years’ jail.
Detective Inspector Kevin Daly, from West Yorkshire Police, said: “Hoang has previously been convicted and imprisoned for drugs supply and is clearly a career criminal who has continued to play a significant role in the supply of Class A drugs.
“The criminal trade in Class A drugs fuels serious violence and has a significant negative impact in our communities.
“West Yorkshire Police will be continuing to target and disrupt serious and organised crime alongside our partner agencies through Programme Precision, and we hope this latest successful outcome will give people some reassurance and highlight the consequences that offenders will face.”