Seller of ‘legal highs’ sent to prison A shop owner who sold dangerous so-called ‘legal highs’ from his Swansea store has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Kashif Iqbal sold the substances — many of which were found to be harmful or toxic, or containing banned drugs — from his Rebel Rebel shop in Morriston, continuing to trade even after being charged and released on bail. Swansea Crown Court heard that when police searched his shop and home they found tens of thousands of pounds in cash hidden in secret compartments in the store ceiling and floor, and even inside beanbags in his children’s bedrooms. Police have welcomed the sentence, and have said they will continue to crack down on new psychoactive substances or ‘legal highs’. The court heard that police and Swansea Trading Standards first visited Rebel Rebel in December 2013, after a person was taken seriously ill and slipped into a coma after taking a ‘legal high’ called Exodus, which was believed to have been purchased from the Woodfield Street shop. Iqbal was told about the safety concerns around what he was selling and was informed that much of his merchandise did not conform to labelling requirements, so could not be sold. Lee Reynolds, for the prosecution, said police were ‘shocked’ when Iqbal asked them, as they were leaving, whether he could continue to sell the substances. The court heard that the authorities made a number of visits to the Morriston premises in subsequent months, after concerns about what he was selling. They recovered thousands of packets of substances with names such as Clockwork Orange, Posh, Rapture, Exodus, El Blanco and Charlie Sheen Research Chemical. Analysis of the some of the seized products showed many were either harmful, or harmful and toxic, contained benzocaine or lidocaine, or contained the Class B drug methylphenidate or the temporarily banned ethylphenidate. Reynolds said many of the packets were found hidden in the ceiling of the shop, from where £27,000 was also recovered. On one occasion when officers were at the shop, Iqbal received a delivery of counterfeit Disney Frozen merchandise; also in the box were more packets of legal highs. The court heard Iqbal was arrested and charged and given bail by Swansea Crown Court – but continued to trade. Reynolds said that, ‘following information received’, police searched Iqbal’s family home in Winch Wen while his wife was there and found £11,000 hidden in beanbags in his children’s bedrooms. They then went to his girlfriend’s house in Bonymaen and, while they were there, a delivery of more packets of legal highs arrived for Iqbal. Officers then went to the Morriston shop again and found £16,000 hidden in a secret compartment under the floor behind the counter, and a further 1,500 packets of ‘legal highs’ in the boot of Iqbal’s Citroen car. Iqbal, of Carmel Road, Winch Wen, had previously pleaded guilty to more than three dozen offences – from breaching copyright and supplying dangerous products to possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply – when he appeared in the dock in November for sentencing. Judge Christopher Vosper QC told the defendant he had continued to sell the products even when he knew of the health concerns and when he knew that what he was doing was illegal. He jailed Iqbal for a total of three years and six months. The defendant will now be subject to action under the Proceeds of Crime Act. South Wales Police, Morriston local policing inspector, Tony Meyrick, welcomed the sentence. He said: ‘There is no doubt that the sale of these products from the Rebel Rebel shop in Morriston has been the catalyst for anti-social behaviour in the town. ‘Local officers have received a constant stream of information and complaints about the trading practices of the premises, particularly around the sale of products to local youths. ‘We have worked with trading standards over a long period of time to disrupt the sale of these items and I would like to thank the community for their support and patience while this work has been carried out. ‘We hope that the high-visibility patrols and operations we have run in Morriston have minimised the amount of anti-social behaviour that the community has had to suffer. ‘While the successful prosecution is a reflection of all the hard work that has taken place, we are not complacent and will continue to work with our partners in trading standards to tackle the sale of new psychoactive substances, and deal with the rowdy – and sometimes violent – behaviour of individuals who consume these products.’ The sentence was also welcomed by Mark Child, Swansea Council’s cabinet member for wellbeing and healthy city. He said: ‘These products are dangerous and the continued supply from the shop after Mr Iqbal had been given very clear advice about them was reckless. ‘The supply of these goods endangered the lives of people using them and led to users causing anti-social behaviour.’