This man preyed on university students

A young ketamine dealer was targeting university students as customers, a court has heard. Kobir Hussain sent out a bulk text message to contacts saying he was "making a run" to the campus with the drug along with cocaine and cannabis.

Swansea Crown Court heard that after being arrested and released, the defendant went straight back to dealing until he was arrested again six months later in a car with a fellow drug dealer who had half a kilo of cocaine in his rucksack.

Sian Cutter, prosecuting, told the court that on May 15 last year police on Hanover Street in the Uplands area of Swansea - a street which she said was associated with drug-related activity - became suspicious of males in a car.

The officers approached the vehicle and on the front seat found a bag containing cannabis, a phone, and more than £600 in cash. Hussain was arrested and a subsequent search of his home turned up so-called "cannabis edibles".

The court heard that an examination of the defendant's phone showed his involvement in the supply of cocaine, cannabis and ketamine including bulk texts sent to multiple contacts.

In the "text bombs" Hussain talked about having ketamine and "making a run to the Swansea Bay campus", while in other messages the defendant talked about having "my boys about" in a seeming reference to having people working for him.

After being questioned the defendant was released, though the court heard it was not clear if he was bailed or released under investigation. 

The prosecutor said 20-year-old Hussain came to the attention of police again shortly before Christmas when officers stopped a car on St Helen's Road in Swansea. Hussain was the passenger and the driver was the co-defendant Mohammed Anees.

The court heard that in the vehicle was a rucksack belonging to Anees which contained more than half-a-kilo of cocaine in various size packages including 20 individual ready-to-go deals along with a set of weighing scales and almost £12,000 in cash.

When the men were searched Hussain was found to be in possession of cannabis, £50 in cash, and a phone, while Anees had three one-gram bags of cocaine.

The court heard a subsequent search of 21-year-old Anees' home turned up two-dozen cannabis vapes worth around £750. The prosecutor said when Hussain's phone was examined officers found messages relating to the supply of ketamine, cannabis and cocaine.

Kobir Hussain, of Hanover Street, Uplands, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, two counts of being concerned in the supply of ketamine, two counts of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, and two counts of the simple possession of cannabis when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has one previous conviction for two offences of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs from November 2022 for which he was given a nine-month youth referral order.

Mohammed Anees, of Henrietta Street, Swansea city centre, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property - namely money - when he appeared alongside the co-defendant for sentencing.

He has one previous conviction for three offences of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply from April 2023 for which he was sentenced to three years detention in a young offenders' institution.

Dean Pulling, for Hussain, said the former Bishop Gore School pupil came from a supportive family who had tried to better themselves and had worked hard to integrate into society.

He said the defendant had told him that being held on remand in prison had made him realise what he was missing and the anguish he was causing his family, and he said Hussain had told him directly: "I'm done with dealing drugs." The barrister said his client "is young enough to change" and has ambitions to run his own clothing business.

Matt Murphy, for Anees, said the defendant had been working in a burger restaurant before "issues with drug misuse and supply got the better of him".

He said his client had been spending his time on remand constructively, acting as a listener with Samaritans and involving himself in supplying boxes of food to fellow inmates like himself who were observing Ramadan.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said despite their relatively young ages the defendants both had previous convictions for class A drug supply and both had returned to the trade knowing what would happen if they were caught again.

With discounts for their guilty pleas Hussain was sentenced to four years detention in a young offenders' institution and Anees to four years in prison.

The defendants will serve 40% of their sentences in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community