Drug dealer arrested at airport after jetting off on four luxury holidays in four months

14 August 2024, 18:35

A drug dealer who jetted off on four holidays in four months was arrested at the airport after flying back from a crime-funded trip to Turkey.

Shazad Miah, of Ashingdon Road, Rochford, was arrested at Luton airport on June 4, 2023 after sending snaps of himself lounging on a privately chartered boat to his associates in the UK.

But as he soaked up the sun, Essex Police built a case against the drug dealer who had been involved in smuggling and supplying crack cocaine and heroin to Southend, Essex.

Appearing at Basildon Crown Court, Miah was sentenced to nine years behind bars.

The dealer had 10 different mobile numbers for his drug line named “Frankie” to send out messages advertising Class A drugs.

Miah used the profits from his criminal activities to fund a slew of luxury holidays.

To avoid suspicion, he paid for the expensive jaunts under a business account created for a fake car rental company.

This account saw more than £30,000 pass through it, police said.

Officers raided Miah’s home on the day of his arrest, where they found evidence including more than £3,000 cash from a safe and a passport believed to belong to one of his runners.

Det Sgt Rob Maile said: “Miah filtered in excess of £30,000 through various bank accounts, money we know was a result of Class A drug dealing.

“He was distanced from the harsh reality of crack cocaine and heroin use, which brings associated anti-social behaviour impacting our communities and has a disastrous impact on the lives of those addicted to these substances.

“Instead, he used the profits of this drug line to fund holidays to Paris, Menorca, Amsterdam and Turkey – all within a four-month period.”

Police say an estimated 2.295kg of Class A drugs, worth around £191,000, were supplied by Miah during his time running the “Frankie” line.

Miah had been convicted for drug dealing once in 2013 and again in 2020, seeing him jailed for 36 months.