Drug money totalling more than £32,000 found in Sainsbury's bag in young man's BMW in Leeds

Leeds Crown Court heard that the cash found in Abdul Islam’s vehicle was probably “linked to the drugs trade”. Prosecutor Oliver Norman said patrolling officers noticed a group of males congregating in the Chapeltown area on November 7, 2020 and noticed the BMW driver cover his face then drive off, so followed.

They pulled it over on Hamilton Place and due to the smell of cannabis, searched the car, uncovering the Sainsbury’s bag from behind his seat. It contained £32,455. Islam, who was just 20 at the time, admitted knowing about the cash, but refused to answer questions about where it came from.

He also refused to provide the pin codes for phones he had with him. Islam, of Hamilton View, Chapeltown, later admitted possession of criminal property. Now 23, he has no previous convictions and has not offended since.

Mitigating, Joel Wootten said: “It was during Covid that he fell in with the wrong crowd and began smoking cannabis. He had limited means and was offered £100 by those people to carry the bag. He did it but he appreciates it was a foolish thing to do.” He said that Islam is now working and has married since this incident.

Judge Neil Clark told Islam: “Why it has taken this time to come to court I have no idea. You covered your face when the police drove by so they stopped you. You told them the car was your uncle’s and it smelled of cannabis.

"You refused to provide the pin numbers for the phones and you told the police you were given £100 to deliver this bag of money. It’s obvious it must have been linked to the drugs trade.”

He said that due to Islam’s efforts to move on from criminality, he said he would not lock him up. Instead he gave him an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months. He also gave him 15 rehabilitation days and ordered him to complete 160 hours of unpaid work.