A TAXI driver turned dealer's 'chauffeur' who helped set up a drugs factory has been found guilty of a conspiracy to bring heroin and crack cocaine into Worcester.
Shakur Hussain was found guilty by majority verdict of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and possession of criminal property at Worcester Crown Court yesterday.
The 38-year-old of Compton Road, Worcester, looked sombre as the jury of eight women and four men returned majority guilty verdicts (10 to two) on all three counts after six hours and 20 minutes of deliberations. Hussain was arrested in Loves Grove, Worcester, with Asgar Khalfe on October 16 last year as part of Operation Blade which seeks to sever the supply of class A drugs into Worcester from larger cities.
Inside Hussain's taxi was found £1,890 in criminal cash, the proceeds of drug dealing. Khalfe has already admitted his role in the conspiracy as have dealers Terry Melsom and Christopher Franklin who were arrested on the same day after a police officer - DC Simon Lloyd - was struck by a car driven by Franklin at the junction of Barbourne Road and Shrubbery Avenue.
A 'drugs factory' at a room in City Nites in Birmingham was rented in Hussain's name but throughout the trial the defendant insisted he did not know it was being used for that purpose.
Hussain sobbed when asked questions by his barrister, Sophie Murray, and when cross-examined by prosecutor Steven Bailey.
Miss Murray described Hussain as a 'patsy' and a 'fall guy' who had been used by 'main man' Khalfe. The defence case had been that Khalfe had wanted to remain a 'ghost' and used 'dumb' and 'bumbling' Hussain as 'the perfect cover'.
She said on Friday: "People like Asgar Khalfe manipulate and prey upon people like Shakur Hussain. They use them for their own purposes don't they? They use people who are squeaky clean so they can get away with stuff."
Some of the more memorable exchanges came when Hussain was cross-examined by Mr Bailey who told the defendant 'Mr Khalfe was your boss' and said to him 'you weren't making enough through the taxi trade'.
Mr Bailey said: "He (Khalfe) was running class A drugs into Worcester. You knew that, didn't you? You were part of it."
But Hussain said he did not know Khalfe was a dealer and had never asked if he was. Hussain said: "What's a drug dealer supposed to look like?"
Mr Bailey challenged Hussain about why he was saved in Khalfe's mobile phone as 'cuzey'. Hussain, a taxi driver for 14 years, said 'cuzey' was used among Asians to mean a 'cousin'.
But Mr Bailey said this was a way to hide the defendant's identity, arguing that there was no legitimate or innocent reason for Khalfe to do this.
Hussain also paid £150 into the account of Peter Mills, father of convicted drug dealer Joshua Mills, but the defendant said this was payment for a mobile phone.
Hussain, who has mortgage arrears and credit card debts, hit back at the notion he had profited from drug dealing, saying 'you found millions in my house, didn't you?'
Mr Bailey said Hussain had paid for the room used as the drug factory in City Nites so Khalfe could remain hidden.
He added: "You have a drug dealer who trusted you with his proceeds, to pay his rent."
Before Hussain and Khalfe were arrested in Worcester the defendant had picked up his fare and his cash from Wychbold near Droitwich.
After one heated exchange Hussain said: "I have never taken any drugs. I didn't supply no drugs to nobody. I have always been against drugs.
"My only mistake was to get apartments for a man who used me. You're trying to make me out to be somebody I'm not."
Hussain will be sentenced with his three co-defendants. Because of the commitments of the judge and counsel no date or venue for the hearing has yet been finalised.
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