Dealer jailed after admitting sale of drugs

A drug dealer has been jailed after admitting to an officer he sold drugs to a woman on a Stoke-on-Trent street in 2021.

Nadeem Khan, aged 35, of Shelton, was jailed for 30 months on Wednesday (17 May) after pleading guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

The court heard how Khan met the woman on St Mark's Street, Shelton, in July 2021 and sold her heroin, which was spotted by plain clothes officers.

One officer then followed Khan and confronted him about the drug deal, to which Khan admitted selling them before advising that he had further wraps of the drugs in his jacket.

We then searched Khan and found snap-seal bags and a tobacco tin containing class A drugs.

A total of 38 wraps of heroin and 10 wraps of crack cocaine was found, as well as a small amount of cash.

PC Razeem Akhtar said: “This was a brazen drug deal, completed in the open in broad daylight.

“Khan’s admission was surprising, but I am pleased that he later pleaded guilty to his offences in court and has been handed a prison sentence.

“We are determined to get these harmful substances off our streets and out of our communities and will continue to do all we can to disrupt the supply of drugs.”

The sentencing comes as our Regional Organised Crime Unit, with West Midlands Police, has launched a proactive operation to target serious and organised crime.

Operation Target, launched earlier this month, aims at cracking down on serious offences from drug dealing and burglary, to cyber-crime and fraud. 

The crackdown will see us use local intelligence to seize goods, carry out warrants and target offenders in order to bring them to justice.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Chisholm, of the force’s specialist crime unit, said: “We are determined to tackle serious and organised crime groups that have a devastating impact on our communities.

“Not only will we actively pursue offenders in a variety of covert ways, we will also work to help prevent people from becoming victims of this type of crime, using our resources, expertise, technology and skills to protect the public and bring those responsible before the courts." 

For more information on Operation Target, visit Major operation to target serious organised crime launched | Staffordshire Police.

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