Taxi driver who was jailed for running drugs concealed Ritz cracker boxes has had an appeal against his sentence turned downA Leicester taxi driver who turned drug runner for a major crack cocaine ring must accept his jail term, top judges have ruled.
Mohammed Omar Rafik (32) ferried couriers from London as they brought thousands of pounds worth of class A drugs to the East Midlands.
Narcotics were at one stage concealed in Ritz cracker boxes.
Rafik, of Welland Street, Highfields, Leicester, was jailed for seven years at Leicester Crown Court in August last year after he was convicted of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
He appealed against the term, but three senior judges at London's Appeal Court rejected a sentence challenge, saying his punishment "cannot be faulted".
Lord Justice McCombe said Rafik was involved in the plot to flood Leicester and Nottingham with illegal highs transported from the capital between February and May, 2011.
On several occasions, he drove couriers to the South East, where they would buy crack cocaine, before returning them to the East Midlands.
During a police sting, two of the gang's taxis were caught on the M1 in Leicestershire.
Both contained Ritz cracker boxes stuffed with half a kilo of crack cocaine. The total value of the drugs was £57,000.
After his arrest, Rafik insisted that he was innocent.
At trial he claimed he had no idea class A drugs were involved, and said he only suspected those he was driving of carrying cannabis and insisted he was not complicit in the plot.
But incriminating surveillance evidence, mobile phone records and cell-site analysis showed close contact between Rafik and the other conspirators.
He was disbelieved by the jury and convicted, with the trial judge saying he played a "significant role" and had an "awareness and understanding of the operation".
On appeal, Rafik's lawyers pointed to long delays that had blighted the case, and attacked his sentence as unfairly out-of-line with those imposed on others involved.
But Lord Justice McCombe, sitting with Mr Justice MacDuff and Judge Anthony Morris QC, said: "We find that this sentence cannot be faulted and, therefore, this application is refused.”
Read more:
http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Taxi- ... z3IfUkEOdF
Login
Register
FAQ
