Police Stopped and Searched a Failed Asylum Seeker’s Car—What They Found Was Surprising, Especially the Address Used to Register It
Omar Ahmed was sentenced with the help of a Kurdish Sorani interpreter after police found half a kilogram of cannabis in a car linked to him.
Swansea Crown Court heard that Ahmed, a 28-year-old failed asylum seeker, was stopped by police in Swansea city centre on July 6. Officers noticed that he matched the description of a man they wanted to speak to over suspected drug dealing connected to a property on Craddock Street.
When police searched Ahmed, they found a mobile phone, £115 in cash and keys to a red Honda Civic parked nearby on Mansel Street. Officers searched the vehicle and discovered around half a kilogram of cannabis. The drugs were estimated to be worth about £3,800.
Checks later showed that the car had been registered in the name of someone who did not appear to exist. The address used to register the vehicle belonged to the Home Office.
Ahmed answered “no comment” to every question during his police interview. He later pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with the intention of supplying it. The court heard that he had no previous convictions.
His barrister, Hannah George, said Ahmed became involved in the offence after entering the UK. She told the court that someone had promised to help him find legal representation for his asylum application, and this situation eventually led to his arrest in Swansea.
The defence said Ahmed deserved credit for admitting the offence. The court was also told that his asylum application had been refused and that he was appealing against the decision.
Judge Paul Thomas KC told Ahmed that he had been caught with a large amount of cannabis worth a considerable sum of money. The judge said the sentence would normally have been 12 months or less and, under the new Sentencing Act, would usually need to be suspended unless exceptional circumstances existed.
However, the judge decided that Ahmed’s immigration status meant there was no realistic alternative to sending him straight to prison. After reducing the sentence by one quarter because of his guilty plea, the judge sentenced him to nine months in prison.
The judge added that Ahmed might not remain behind bars for much longer because of the time he had already spent in custody and the current early-release rules. However, he said any decision about what happens to Ahmed after his release—including possible immigration action—would be for the immigration authorities to make.
