Student dealer tracked by Leeds police hid £48,000 of drugs in public bin
A dealer dumped £48,000 worth of drugs in a bin after being chased by police.
Student Ahmed Osman, who has twice before been caught with large quantities of drugs, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week.
Officers had spotted a Mercedes driving on Burley Road on September 23 last year.
Checks flagged up that it had no insurance cover, so officers pulled the vehicle over.
But as they got out to speak with the driver, it took off at speed, forcing them into a pursuit.
They were led along Hyde Park Road before Osman, who was the passenger, jumped out carrying two plastic bags and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt, running towards Alexandra Road.
Police continued to chase the Mercedes, prosecutor Bashir Ahmed told the court.
However, they abandoned the pursuit and returned to the area where Osman fled.
He was found not far from the scene, but without this green top or the bags he was carrying.
However, members of the public told the officers they saw Osman remove his top and hide it. Headphones and £98 in cash were still in the pocket when it was recovered.
The bags were also retrieved and contained 2.42kg of ketamine. The street value was estimated to be around £48,400.
CCTV from the area was viewed and showed Osman dumping the drugs and his top.
The 23-year-old, of Easterly Road, Gipton, was arrested and gave a no-comment interview.
Appearing in court via a video link from HMP Leeds, he admitted dealing in Class B drugs.
He has previous convictions for dealing in heroin and crack cocaine in 2022, and dealing in ketamine, MDMA and cannabis in 2023, for which he received a 30-month jail sentence.
Mitigating, John Batchelor said Osman had the support of his family and felt he had “let them down”.
He added: “He is not unrealistic. He readily accepts he was trusted to carry two-and-a-half kilogrammes of ketamine across the city.”
He said Osman had racked up a debt because of his previous offending and was “in the grip” of those he was previously involved with.
Mr Batchelor said Osman had completed two years of a degree in business and finance and was hoping to finish his final year once released.
The judge, Recorder Caroline Goodwin KC, told Osman: “Not for the first time you were found dealing in drugs.
“You must be the ultimate disappointment to your family. You should be ashamed of the trade you are involved in.
“You are wasting the best years of your life. Everyone seems to understand the seriousness of the situation but you.”
She jailed him for three years.