Bilal Baz: Dealer with 'significant role' in Sheffield drugs line hid SIM cards in his sock

A dealer with a 'significant role' in a Sheffield drug line has been taken off the city’s streets, after being found with thousands of pounds of Class A substances and five mobile phone SIM cards. 

Defendant, Bilal Baz, was caught by police while in possession of large quantities of Class A drugs on two occasions between September and October 2023, Sheffield Crown Court heard. 

The first lot of drugs were found in Baz’s possession after officers raided a property located at a block of flats in Farmstead Close in the Gleadless Valley area of Sheffield on September 23, prosecutor, Stephanie Hollis, said. 

Ms Hollis said Baz, aged 28, was present at the block of flats where the warrant was executed; and officers recovered a ‘package and a glove’ in the stairwell close to where he was first seen by officers. 

The ‘aggregate value’ of the drugs recovered during the course of the raid, which included large quantities of both heroin and cocaine of varying purity levels, was estimated to be £14,290, the court was told during a hearing held on March 7, 2024. 

Traces of blood were found on both the glove and the package, which were subsequently found to be a positive match for Baz, following DNA analysis. 

“The defendant was arrested and searched, and was found to have two SIM cards in his sock.”

“Noting the defendant had been seen with a phone when officers arrived, an officer returned to the scene and searched the garden where the defendant had first been seen. Officers recovered a phone and further SIM card in its case,” Ms Hollis said, adding that a fifth SIM card linked to Baz was also recovered by officers. 

A phone analyst expert determined that one of the SIM cards had been used in seven different handsets, while another had been used in five. 

Ms Hollis said it is the Crown’s case that the SIM cards, and associated handset recovered from Baz, were ‘used in the supply of Class A drugs through a drugs line’. 

Following his arrest, Baz was released on conditional bail. Police went to look for him at his partner’s address around a fortnight later, however, because his arrest meant he was wanted on recall to prison relating to a sentence passed in January 2023 for an offence of violent disorder, the court heard. 

Ms Hollis said police arrived at his partner’s Sheffield address on October 6, and Baz, formerly of Addison Road, Firth Park, Sheffield, was located in a bedroom at the property.

“His partner was asked if any of his property was present in the property and she pointed them towards a gilet,” Ms Hollis said. 

After searching both the gilet and Baz’s BMW vehicle parked outside the property, officers recovered £4,612 in cash, along with thousands of pounds worth of cocaine. 

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Baz, who has a criminal record spanning 15 offences from 10 convictions - including ones relating to drug supply, was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, three counts of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply, two counts of supplying a controlled drug of Class A and one count of possessing criminal property. 

Ms Hollis said that following expert analysis, it was the Crown’s case that Baz had a ‘significant role’ in the criminal enterprise, and the large quantities of drugs found in his possession, often not split into smaller packages for sale, suggested they were for ‘onward supply to others who had been street dealing’. 

Consequently, a basis of plea submitted by Baz, in which he claimed he had been ‘acting under the direction of others’ was rejected by prosecutors. 

“The Crown says he was dealing for significant financial gain, the phone evidence supports that,” Ms Hollis said. 

Defending, Shufqat Khan said Baz has now formally abandoned that basis of plea.

Mr Khan told the court that Baz has a long-term partner, with whom he shares a 22-month-son, who is currently five months pregnant. 

Mr Khan said Baz was not present at the birth of his son, and will now also miss the birth of his second child. 

He said Baz expresses genuine remorse, adding that the current conditions in prison mean his client has been spending 23 hours a day in his cell, and his position since being recalled to prison in October 2023 has meant he has been unable to make valuable use of his time through courses.

Mr Khan also suggested that Baz’s mental health difficulties, which include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ‘due to threats and the like,’ mean his time in custody will be made more difficult’.

The judge, Recorder Simon Rippon, jailed Baz for six years. 

Recorder Rippon said that while he had taken the points of mitigation advanced by Mr Khan into consideration, Baz’s offending - which was committed while he was on licence, and then following the first drugs raid, while he was on bail - was ‘so serious that only custody can be justified’. 

A schedule of proceeds of crime hearings, with the intention of identifying assets Baz has obtained through his involvement in the supply of drugs, has been set for the coming months.