Dealers jailed to set an example (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Dealers jailed to set an example

COME to Swindon dealing drugs and police will take everything you have that's the message being sent out to drug dealers up and down the country.

It comes after two men from Birmingham, who were caught dealing in the town centre, were jailed for four years each, as well as having their cash and car seized by Swindon police.

On January 31 this year, police were alerted to three men who were thought to be dealing in the tented market.

Acting Sergeant Matt Barnett said: "Two plain clothes officers attended the scene and three males were detained.

"They recovered a quantity of wraps and £585 in cash."

Police found 26 wraps of heroin and 14 wraps of crack cocaine.

Mohammed Miah, 24, and Faeed Iqbal, 21, both from Birmingham, originally denied the charges. Police took DNA samples from the pair and it matched the DNA found on the wraps that had been recovered by officers.

Police said the drugs found would be worth an estimated £800 on the street.

Miah and Iqbal were charged with intent to supply heroin, intent to supply crack cocaine, possession of heroin and possession of crack cocaine.

Acting Sgt Barnett said: "The pair admitted they had being buying the drugs cheaper in Birmingham and then driving to Swindon to sell them on at a higher price.

"They claimed they were making around £250 for £110 worth of gear.

"This was why we took the decision to seize their VW Golf, as it was being used in drug dealing.

"And they admitted all the cash they had on them were the proceeds of drug dealing."

On September 15, Swindon Crown Court sentenced both men to four years in jail.

Acting Sgt Barnett said police were sending the warning out to everyone.

"If you come to Swindon dealing drugs you will be caught and we'll take everything you have," he said.

"We'll even throw you in jail too."

The third male, a 20-year-old man from the Swindon area, is due to appear before Swindon Magistrates charged with possession of an offensive weapon and possession of cannabis.

A date has not been set.

Hard line

THIS is not the first time the police have caught dealers and users who come to Swindon from other places.

Chantel Prempeh-Dabere and Barbara Esandol, part of a drugs gang operating in the town, were charged with peddling heroin and crack cocaine.

Barbara Esandol was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison and Ms Prempeh-Dabere pleaded not guilty and her charge was allowed to lie on file.

Both women were from Wallington, Surrey.

A 21-year-old who was accused of dealing cocaine in Swindon was remanded in custody.

Police found cocaine with a street value of £8,000 and £1,000 in cash when they searched the address given to them by Dexter Piper, of Hackney, London.

He was stopped as police were carrying out an unrelated search of a property in Swindon, on Friday, August 26.

Jamie Hill