Southampton man jailed for supplying Class A drugs in the city

A Southampton man has been jailed after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs in the city.

Mohammed Prince-Islam, 37, of Malmesbury Road, appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday (10 January) where he was sentenced to four years in prison.

The court heard how in October 2023 police were made aware of drug dealing taking place in and around the St James Road area of the city. On October 24, officers saw what they suspected to be drug-related activity between Prince-Islam and a second man at the junction of Atherley Road and Howard Road. A short time later he was stopped and attempted to run away from police. He was detained and searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Suspected Class A drugs and cash were found in his possession and he was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

A subsequent search of an address connected with Prince-Islam under Section 18 of the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984 located a significant quantity of items suspected to have been stolen, including designer clothing, shoes, perfume and alcohol, many still with security tags attached. Almost £15,000 in cash was also seized, as well as significant quantities of heroin and crack cocaine. The 37-year-old was further arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods as a result.

Following police enquiries Prince-Islam was charged with the offences and later pleaded guilty. He has now been sentenced to four years in prison.

Detective Constable Georgina Harris, who led the investigation, said: “I am pleased that Prince-Islam entered a guilty plea in the face of the overwhelming evidence against him and glad that someone who was contributing to drug-related harm within our society has now been sentenced to time in prison.

“I hope that this result demonstrates our commitment to putting those who supply drugs before the courts to face justice. Drug supply brings with it violence, exploitation and organised crime which is why disrupting and stopping it remains one of our top priorities.

“We continue to work in partnership across Southampton to protect people from drug related harm and results such as this one will help to do that. I urge residents to please keep reporting any information you have on drug supply in the city to police. You may not see an immediate police deployment, but rest assured we are working behind the scenes to build the bigger picture with every details provided to us.”

If you suspect drug related activity in your area, please get in touch. All information could help us catch and convict those who deal drugs to our communities and even the smallest pieces of information can help us develop a stronger intelligence picture.

Call us on 101 or online at https://www.hampshire.police.uk/.

Alternatively people can contact Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/