Dealer caught selling cocaine from Range Rover

Syed Ahmed admitted drug dealing offences

A "mid-level" drug dealer who was part of a gang supplying cocaine and cannabis across north-east England has been jailed for three years and nine months.

Syed Ahmed, 26, was caught after police spotted someone getting out of a Range Rover he was driving with a package in Newcastle, the city's crown court heard.

Messages found on his phone showed he was arranging the delivery of drugs from Tyneside down to Durham, the court heard.

Ahmed admitted eight offences, including being concerned in the supply of and possession with intent to supply cocaine, cannabis, ketamine and MDMA.

Officers in an unmarked car saw the suspicious transaction carried out on Grosvenor Place, in Jesmond, at about 19:30 BST on 7 April 2023, prosecutor Neil Pallister said.

They followed the black Range Rover into the city centre, where they stopped and searched it at Carliol Square car park, the court heard.

'Trusted drug dealer'

Officers seized four mobile phones, a Rolex watch which Ahmed later claimed was fake, £1,560 in cash and Class A and B drugs worth about £1,800, Mr Pallister said.

Ahmed refused to give police the pin codes for his phones but they were still able to extract messages and notes showing he had been arranging drug deals since at least August 2022, the court heard.

As well as delivering drugs himself, Ahmed arranged for delivery drivers to meet customers, with deals arranged as far as Tynemouth and Durham, the court heard.

He would tell customers to look out for certain cars, such as a blue Ford Focus and silver Suzuki Swift, that his delivery drivers would be using, the court heard.

Police found price lists and other messages showing the scale of the operation Ahmed was involved in, the court heard.

For example,13 customers were supplied with cocaine, cannabis and MDMA in one hour on 2 April 2023, and 17 over a four-hour period the following day.

Mr Pallister said Ahmed, of Ladykirk Road in Newcastle, was a "mid-level" operator who appeared to be "trusted" by those above him in the criminal network.

In mitigation, Matthew Hopkins said Ahmed had worked hard in life and had a good job as an IT coordinator and marketing assistant, but became involved in dealing drugs through "utter stupidity".