29-year-old Shalw Jamel was arrested by plain-clothes officers under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act following the incident, which took place on St. Helen’s Avenue in December 2024.
When arrested, Jamel was found in possession of eight five-gram bags of cannabis and over £900 in cash. Following his arrest, he falsely claimed to officers that he worked at a nearby car wash.
Swansea Crown Court heard that when police searched the Swansea bedsit where Jamel was staying they found the Iraqi Kurd’s asylum application registration card under the mattress.
After previously pleading not guilty to possession with intent to supply a Class B drug, Jamel changed his plea to guilty in March.
Sentencing Jamel to 12 months in prison, Judge Geraint Walters commented that like other UK cities, Swansea was “awash” with foreign criminals often involved in the drugs trade and that Jamel was caught red-handed selling cannabis on the streets of Swansea.
The judge said what happens to the defendant after he has served his sentence is down to the Home Office but “I have not a shadow of a doubt what the public expect.”
Detective Sergeant Heather Southway from South Wales Police said: “Shalw Jamel was caught red-handed by officers as he was in the act of selling Class B drugs. He then saw fit to lie to officers about how he made his living.
“Again, anyone involved in the illegal drug trade, which blights the lives of far too many in our communities, can be sure that we will identify them and they will likely end up in prison.
“With Shalw Jamel heading to prison, there is fortunately one less drug dealer on our streets.”
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