A Bradford man caught transporting cocaine with a street value of up to £80,000 was a “trusted courier” in a trans-Pennine drugs ring, a jury has heard.

David Reed, 31, of Princes Crescent, Bolton, Bradford, is on trial with three men and a woman all accused of plotting to supply class A and B drugs.

Reed, who is not in Court for the trial, was arrested on the M606 on November 16, 2009, with almost half a kilo of cocaine in a car travelling from Liverpool to West Yorkshire. Prosecutor Christopher Tehrani said Reed had pleaded guilty to possessing the drug with intent to supply.

He and his co-accused all deny conspiring with others to supply cocaine and amphetamine between August 19, 2009, and May 26 last year.

The other four defendants are: Mohammed Rafiq Hussain, 49, of Church Walk, Northowram, Halifax; Neil Foster, 58, of Athol Green, Ovenden, Halifax; Stanley Carnall, 59, of Prenton, Liverpool, and Linda Cockerham, 57, of Clare Street, Halifax.

Mr Tehrani said Cockerham was also accused of possession of cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply on December 23, 2009, after police found drugs at her home.

He told the jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday the Crown’s case was that Reed was Hussain’s trusted courier. Mr Tehrani said the prosecution case centred on police surveillance, mobile phone calls, searches, arrests and what the defendants said to the police.

He said the alleged drugs ring used a flat at The Gatehaus complex in Leeds Road, Bradford, as a safe house which was traced by police on November 10, 2009, using a discarded electricity bill.

The jury was told that the following day Reed was overheard by an undercover police officer discussing “half a kilogram of heroin, maybe a bit more”.

Mr Tehrani said the conversation took place in the cafe at Morrisons supermarket in Mayo Avenue, Bradford.

Five days later, Reed and another man, Matthew Geddes, drove to Liverpool and met Carnall, the jury was told.

At 10.13pm, Reed and Geddes were stopped and cocaine was seized from their vehicle.

Mr Tehrani said the drug had a 69 per cent purity and if “cut” with other substances, its street value would be £78,560. The trial continues.

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