Southampton drug dealer jailed for eight and a half years

A man has been jailed for eight years and six months for drugs offences in Southampton.

Ahmed Haji, 26, of Anglesea Terrace, Southampton, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court yesterday, Tuesday, 8 June after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, heroin and crack cocaine and one money laundering offence.

The court heard that on Monday, 22 March, officers from Southampton’s High Harm team carried out a proactive stop and search of a silver Ford Fiesta Zetec and three men in Granville Street, Southampton, after they observed a suspected drugs deal taking place. During the search officers located a quantity of suspected Class A drugs and cash.

This led officers to carry out a search of an address in Anglesea Terrace, Southampton, where they located further Class A drugs, a large quantity of cash and high value designer clothing.

The drugs that were located during both searches were subsequently examined and confirmed to be heroin and crack cocaine, with a combined total street value of £111,680.

The cash that was seized came to a total of £206,135.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday, 8 June) Haji was sentenced to a total of eight years and six months in jail for all three offences. 

Detective Constable Dan Lines said: “This is an excellent result following a proactive stop and search by officers from Southampton’s High Harm team who were out patrolling the Granville Road area.

“Drugs supply is often connected to other offending, such as high levels of violence or even the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable adults and children, which is why we take a tough stance on drug dealing.

“Tackling drugs and associated crime remains a priority in Southampton and I hope this case reassures our communities that we continue to disrupt those involved in drug related crime and keep people safe.”

We encourage anyone who suspects drug related activity taking place in their area to report it to us. This helps us strengthen our intelligence picture and bring offenders to justice.

Here are some of the signs to look out for:

-           Other people seen inside the house or flat who don’t normally live there

-           People coming and going from the property

-           More taxis and cars than usual appearing at the property

-           When you see the occupant, they may appear anxious or distracted

-           Seeing drugs paraphernalia near to the property

If you spot any of these signs you can contact us by using our online reporting portal or by calling 101.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org