Dealer caught with £12,000 worth of drugs at his Leeds home a year after crack cocaine raid

Mujahid Shafri was stopped by police as he was driving in March of this year and a quantity of MDMA and cash were found on him, prosecutor Gareth Henderson-Moore told Leeds Crown Court.

They then searched his home address on King Lane, Moortown, where they found more cash, along with MDMA and cocaine worth the five-figure amount.

But it was heard that Shafri had been the passenger in a Suzuki car that was stopped by police in Horsforth on April 21 last year because of the smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle. The car was being driven by 23-year-old Simon Huddleston.

The car was found to contain bags of MDMA, cocaine and cannabis, along with a bucket full of cannabis and cannabis-laced chocolate. The home of 30-year-old Shafri was searched and more drugs were found, along with a drug-preparation area.

Shafri later admitted multiple offences of dealing in Class A, B and C drugs, including four for MDMA, three for cocaine, two for cannabis, two for ketamine, one for crack cocaine and one for Xanax.

Huddleston, of Graham Street, Burley admitted two counts of dealing in Class A drugs including MDMA and crack cocaine, two of Class B – cannabis and ketamine – and one of Class C – Xanax.

Mitigating for Huddleston, Stephen Smithson said he was a university student who dropped out after developing a drug habit. Since his arrest he had sought help from the drug-counselling service, Forward Leeds, paid for private counselling and was in employment.

He said that Huddleston, who has no previous convictions, “recognises the nature of the offences”. He added: “It’s a clear example of how a bright future can be ruined by drugs.”

Mitigating for Shafri, Stephen Littlewood said he realised a custodial sentence was “inevitable”. He said the trigger had been his father’s death in 2019 and was supporting his mother, sister and his wife, who was pregnant with his child.

The judge, Recorder Leila Benyounes jailed Shafri for five years and 10 months. Huddleston was given a two-year sentence, suspended for two years. She also said he must undertake a nine-month drug-rehabilitation requirement, 15 rehabilitation days and 200 hours of unpaid work.