A DRUG dealer from Bradford has been jailed for more than four years for his part in the supply of cocaine in West Yorkshire and beyond.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Arshaque Ajmal, 23, of Carr Bottom Road, was in control of an operation that included Bradford and Bridlington, and which used other people’s homes as bases for drug dealing.

Prosecutor Danielle Gilmour said Ajmal was detained on August 19, 2020, after detectives stopped and searched a car that was seen leaving an address connected to drug dealing in Idle Road.

Almost £1,500 in the driver’s door. A package of cocaine was found in the driver’s home.

Police then raided the house at Idle Road and were let in by the tenant. Ajmal was discovered inside. On a table next to him was cannabis, a razor blade, and a plate and bowl containing remnants of white powder.

Hidden inside a vase was a plastic bag containing smaller packages of cocaine. A set of scales was also discovered and a mobile phone as well as another bag in the fireplace.

Ten more wraps of crack cocaine were found in Ajmal’s pocket. He and the driver of the car were arrested.

During an interview, Ajmal denied any knowledge of the drugs found in the house and said the phone did not belong to him.

Miss Gilmour told the court that Ajmal was in the house that day because he was using it as a base from which to cut and bag drugs and was part of a gang that exploited the tenant for drug dealing activities.

On another occasion, police raided a house on Queensgate in Bridlington. Among the people found inside was Ajmal along with almost £1,300 in cash, a small quantity of drugs, and a machete.

Text messages on a phone he was carrying suggested that Ajmal was operating a business from the address with the man who lived there being used as a runner.

The man living in the house told police he was paid £50 per day to allow people to use his home to sell drugs.

Ajmal later pleaded guilty to possession of Class A drugs.

Mitigating for Ajmal, Harry Crowson said he had been involved in the world of drugs since being a teenager but in recent times had sought to turn his life around. He told the court that Ajmal who suffered from “significant medical ailments”, had not re-offended since being on bail.

He added: “He has had a long period to decide whether or not he wants to continue offending, or if he wanted to get on the straight and narrow.”

Sentencing Ajmal, His Honour Judge Ahmed Nadim said he had awareness and understanding of the scale of the Bradford operation, and, in terms of Bridlington, he had an expectation of “a significant reward”.

He added: “You had involved yourself in an enterprise in a different area away from where you lived so as to avoid the police radar. This illustrates the deliberation and the sophistication with which you committed this particular offence.

“Supply of drugs inflicts misery upon those who consume drugs and wreaks havoc in the community.

“In two separate localities you were involved in the peddling of drugs.

“That is why these offences are regarded as being so serious.”

He sent Ajmal to prison for a total of 56 months - four years and eight months - and said he would serve half in custody and then be released on licence.