A rogue taxi driver who used his job to deal drugs has been jailed.
Sarim Malik's employment in Newcastle provided the perfect cover for his money making enterprise supplying narcotics.
But police had received intelligence about what he was up to and had him under observation.
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Newcastle Crown Court heard officers watched on November 15 2019 as a man got out of his VW Passat. The passenger was stopped and found to have a bag of cocaine, for which he was later cautioned.
When police pulled over Malik, a search revealed he had a plastic bag in his trousers, which contained nine smaller bags with 5.33g of MDMA in them.
On his way to the police station, he revealed he had a further two bags concealed in his groin area.
These contained nine packages of ketamine and 23 bags of cocaine weighing 6.8g.
Some £590 cash was also in the taxi and police seized three iphones, two belonging to Malik.
Penny Hall, prosecuting, said: "One was getting frequent calls and messages while he was in custody and the other one contained messages relating to drug supply."
The court heard the total value of the seized drugs was up to £2,140 and police also found £1,570 cash at his home.
Malik, 24,of Beaconsfield Street, Arthurs Hill, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to supply class A and B drugs and supplying class A drugs.
Jailing him for three years, Recorder Carl Gumsley said: "It's a tragic situation that somebody who has so much to offer has found himself in this position.
"But you were a taxi driver, who the public expect should provide a public service and you used, no doubt, that ability as a taxi driver to be in various places at various times, driving around to continue with this drug dealing operation."
Glenn Gatland, defending, said, said Malik had no previous convictions and was doing a university degree at the time.
He said: "He is a naive immature young man for his age and it appears he has been coerced by more sophisticated offenders.
"He always wanted to be a teacher and put himself through college and university.
"He got a degree in childhood early years learning but that's been thwarted by his conviction and he will never be able to teach children.
Mr Gatland added that his 69-year-old mum was a single parent and Malik had college debts.
He said he turned to gambling to try to make money, got into debt, turned to a loan shark and was told he could pay off what he owed by selling drugs.
Mr Gatland said two days after Malik was arrested, his hand was broken by the loan shark.
He added: "He is very remorseful and is the sole carer for his mother."
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