South Yorkshire man found with £16k cannabis stash admits dealing charge

Shoaib Rasaq, 25, pleaded guilty to charges of possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possessing criminal property, relating to a cash sum of £18,600, during a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court today. 

Both offences were carried out on February 17 last year. 

Prosecutor, Louise Gallagher, told the court that the 1,657 grams of cannabis that Rasaq, of Doncaster Road, Rotherham, was found with is believed to have a street value of £16,500. 

Imran Khan, mitigating, said Rasaq had pleaded guilty on the basis that he was acting a ‘courier’. 

Ms Gallagher said the Crown did not accept Rasaq’s basis of plea. 

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, replied: “I’m not sure I do.” 

“This young man is addicted to cocaine, and as a result of his drug debt he has been forced into acting as a courier,” added Mr Khan. 

The court was told that Rasaq was convicted of drugs offences in 2012, and was also hauled before the courts in 2016 and 2017 for unrelated crimes. 

Mr Khan asked if the case could be adjourned for the preparation of a pre-sentence report, to which Judge Richardson responded by saying the main consideration for the court would be deciding ‘how long’ Rasaq was jailed for. 

Judge Richardson adjourned the case until April 8 for sentence, and released Rasaq on bail.