A drug dealer who wore his mobile number on his t-shirt was caught after police saw him advertising his ‘services’ and phoned him.
Wajid Hussain, 27, conducted his illegal business in Yorkshire, where he sold heroin and crack cocaine on a ‘dial-a-service’ basis.
His system proved a little too simple, however, and he was busted when an undercover officer spotted him wearing a t-shirt reading ‘Naz & Scooby – 4 for £25’, followed by a mobile number. West Yorkshire Police launched an undercover operation and arranged a number of deals by calling the number on Hussain’s shirt.
The dealer would arrange drivers with hire cars to deliver cut-price wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, though he was present for two of the deals police had arranged.
Hussain was arrested and appeared at Bradford Crown Court, where he admitted to dealing class A drugs.
The 27-year-old ran the ‘bring and ring’ Scooby Line from April to July 2019 and wore the t-shirt in the hope of promoting his business.
The court heard West Yorkshire Police’s ‘Operation Errantdance’ uncovered various drugs supply lines, with ’employees’ bringing wraps of crack and heroin to waiting buyers.
During one of the police’s undercover pickups, an officer bought a wrap of heroin for £7. On another occasion, an undercover cop who went by the name Libby bought a £10 wrap of heroin and was told she could have ‘three for £20.’
Hussain had been joined by one of his ‘workers’, 59-year-old Kevin Hodgson, while meeting Libby. The following day, Hussain and Hodgson arrived to sell Libby another £10 wrap. She asked if they would do 10 wraps for £60, and the dealer agreed.
Police raided the 27-year-old’s house last month and uncovered the t-shirt, scales, cash and dealer bags, as well as Kinder eggs, which Hussain presumably used for the plastic containers, in which he could stash drugs.
Michael Smith, who was prosecuting, told the court:
It appears that it was in effect [Hussain’s] operation, or one in the very least in which he played a very significant role.
Hussain had 18 previous convictions for 31 offences, including supplying class A drugs in 2012, after which he was sent to a young offender institution for 16 months. Other offences included aggravated vehicle-taking, battery and racially aggravated harassment.
The dealer had previously been recalled to prison on licence for a dangerous driving sentence, and he was in breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order.
Shufqat Khan, who was defending Hodgson, claimed his client did not immediately realise he was driving for drug dealers. Hodgson was said to have been out of work when he was asked to hire cars for the deals.
Hussain’s solicitor advocate, Andrew Walker, said it was an ‘unusual feature’ of the case that the Scooby Line number was registered to his client.
However, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall argued the t-shirt was an example of ‘the brazen arrogance of those who think they are big men in their society’.
He added:
You are intimately linked to the operation of this line.
The court heard Hussain is the father of three young children, and his sentencing would mean he will miss seeing their formative years.
Hussain pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying Class A drugs and was jailed for six years, while Hodgson was jailed for two years and two months.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.