Bolton: drug dealer caught as part of 'Angel' drugs line

Abdulrahman Salem Raheem, now 21, was spotted by police officers on patrol in the town in the early hours of September 1 2021.

On searching him, Bolton Crown Court heard how the officers found drugs, cash, an iPhone and two “burner” Nokia phones which were found to have been used to send drug related messages.

Hayley Bennett, prosecuting, said: “In short, the defendant was dealing both crack cocaine and heroin as heroin was seized from him and crack cocaine was referred to in the messages.”

Ms Bennett told the court how many of the messages appeared to refer to “Angel line”, which she explained was a “well known drugs line in the Bolton area.”

The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Raheem, of Monks Lane, Breightmet, was also found to have been carrying around £600 in cash as well as several wraps of heroin.

Arrested and brought before the magistrates court, he pleaded guilty to possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

Ms Bennett said that this appeared to be Raheem’s “own enterprise” and there was no evidence that he employed any “runners.”

Rebecca Caulfield, defending, argued that the 21-year-old, who has no previous convictions, was entitled to credit for having pleaded guilty that he was being directed by more serious criminals at the time.

She told the court that Raheem, in his “naivety and immaturity” had ended up doing so after wracking up a £600 cannabis debt which he was unable to pay off.

Ms Caulfield told the court that he had been buying the cannabis “on tick effectively” and had been “running around with the wrong crowd.”

She said: “The Angel line that the defendant was using was a well known drugs line in Bolton, which would suggest that there were other people in the upper echelons.”

She pointed out that since his arrest Raheem had committed no further crimes and was now working at two different jobs.

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC also noted the length of time that the case had taken to be dealt with.

Addressing the defendant, he said: “Why you weren’t prosecuted there and then for possessing these drugs with intent to supply, I do not know.”

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Describing Raheem as having been a “low level drug dealer” at the time he accepted that the 21-year-old had matured since then and that there more “more constructive” ways of dealing with him than prison.

Judge Clarke gave Raheem a sentence of two years, suspended for 18 months and made him subject to an electronically monitored curfew between 9pm and 6am for four months.

He also ordered the defendant to complete 240 hours of unpaid work and to pay the costs of the prosecution.

Finally, Judge Clarke ordered that the money that was seized be given to a drugs charity in Bolton.