THE trial of a 26-year-old man accused of drug dealing in Malvern has got underway at Worcester Crown Court.
Usman Shazad, of Brantford Road, Birmingham, is accused of having in his possession a quantity of a controlled class A drug, heroin, with intent to supply to Malvern drug users.
He also faces a second charge of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, cocaine and heroin, with Rubel Miah.
Prosecutor Michael Aspinall told the jury of 11, seven men and four women, that on June 23, 2018, police stopped a Mercedes that they spotted was driving erratically including having waited 10 seconds to move off after a traffic light turned green.
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He said the car was then pulled over in North Malvern Road, Malvern.
The prosecutor said the vehicle had been driven by Miah, and after a search they found on him the heroin and his phone, as well as another phone in the glovebox.
Mr Aspinall said on Shazad was found £165 in cash, which they say is linked to drug dealing, and his phone.
He added Shazad was in the front passenger seat.
“We say they were coming down to supply drugs (in Malvern),” Mr Aspinall said.
“We say both of them were acting together, it was a joint enterprise. Just because one person had it on them (the heroin) doesn’t mean another couldn’t also be in possession.”
Mr Aspinall told the jury that the phone found in the glovebox had Shazad’s fingerprint on it but Shazad explained to police that he had reached into the glovebox for a baby wipe “and must have moved it”.
Mr Aspinall said that for the majority of two police interviews he had answered “no comment” to the questions asked.
But, Mr Aspinall said, he answered one of the questions.
Mr Aspinall said: "He was asked what the £165 in cash found was for. He said ‘for the day out’."
The 11 jurors, seven men and four women, then heard from Detective Constable Nicholas Lobo, who told them he had 25 years of experience in drug related cases.
DC Lobo told the court he had analysed the messages on the phones seized by police.
He answered questions on the texts on Miah’s phone confirming a number of them appeared to relate to drug deals, using slang terms for cocaine, heroin, and arranging to meet up for deals.
DC Lobo was then asked about the analysis of the phone in the glovebox, with Mr Aspinall saying a number of contacts had MAL or MALV next to their name.
DC Lobo said: “There are literally hundreds, over 500. The significance of that is how they are stored - if it was my phone and I had to distinguish, I would use surnames.”
The trial continues today, when the defendant is expected to give evidence.
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