Bolton dealer caught with Class A drugs three times

Junaid Musa, 27, was first caught out by police who had been on patrol around Buckley Lane in Farnworth on January 30 2021.

More than three years on, Bolton Crown Court heard how police discovered Musa with a range of drugs after stopping a grey Ford Fiesta.

Prosecutor Thomas Sherrington said: “It was noticed that there was a strong smell of cannabis emanating from the vehicle.”

Dressed in a plain black t-shirt Musa, of Greenland Road, Great Lever, looked on via video link from prison as Mr Sherrington told the court how police found cannabis in his pocket that night.

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

Taking him to Swinton Police Station, officers found Musa had also been carrying cocaine and heroin with several mobile phones, while further cannabis and cocaine was found at his home.

Officers also found a total of £1038.02 they believed was connected to the drug dealing.

But more drug offences would follow when Musa was released under investigation and around eight months later he was stopped by police again.

This time police had been on patrol in Bolton on September 23 when they chased after a car.

Two men, one of them Musa, ran out and were eventually caught and on searching him officers found Musa was carrying plastic bag containing cannabis.

He was also caught with a white sock with white and brown powder inside and with several mobile phones.

Again, it turned out that Musa had been carrying heroin, cocaine and cannabis, but he was once again released under investigation.

Finally Musa was caught out again in a car park off Deane Road in the early hours of Wednesday January 26 2022.

He had been asleep in a BMW alongside fellow drug dealer Mostafa Al-Saleh in an area Mr Sherrington said was “known to be frequented by drug users and their suppliers.”

Musa was again arrested and found again to have been carrying cocaine, heroin and cannabis with mobile phones.

Mostafa Al-Saleh has already been jailed (Image: GMP)

His companion Al-Saleh, 24 of Ena Street, Great Lever, has since been jailed for 36 months.

Brought before the magistrates court Musa, who has seven previous convictions for 16 offences, pleaded guilty to six counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

He also confessed to possession of criminal property and three counts of possession of cannabis.

Thomas Worsfold, defending, argued that Musa deserved credit for his guilty plea and said that his drug dealing was “at the lowest level of sophistication.”

He told the court that Musa had turned to drug dealing having been a user himself and getting into debt with other dealers.

Mr Worsfold said: “Those debts don’t go away when someone is arrested.”

He added: “On the one hand is a defendant who goes out and commits offences again and again but underneath that is someone who’s caught in a bit of a trap.”

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Mr Worsfold said that Musa had not been living a “lavish lifestyle” and pointed to several positive character references in his favour.

Judge Jon Close accepted that the 27-year-old was “addicted to drugs” himself and had built up debts but reminded the court of the wide range of crimes he had committed.

Addressing the defendant, he said: “You were released under investigation, what you did however was continue to offend in exactly the same way going forward.”

He added: “You went on the offend again in exactly the same way, not once, not twice, this was the third occasion.”

Judge Close jailed Musa for a total of five years and five months.