Luton man Mohammed Awais Ashraf jailed four years after drugs stash found in hire car

A Luton man was jailed for four years today after he was found with a stash of cocaine in his hire car.
Mohammed Awais AshrafMohammed Awais Ashraf
Mohammed Awais Ashraf

Mohammed Awais Ashraf, 19, was sentenced earlier today after a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict following a two-day trial at Luton Crown Court.

Ashraf, of Wetherby Road, was arrested on August 5, 2017, after police had stopped the car he was driving which he had hired earlier that day.

Inside the car, officers found 11 bags of cocaine in the door pocket of the car and a further 15 bags within a tin by the gear stick.

Ashraf claimed he had not seen the drugs in the car in the six hours he had been driving it. He suggested the bags had been left by a previous user but was found guilty of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

DC Scott Hannam said: “We are obviously very pleased that the jury unanimously agreed that Ashraf is guilty, which means he is off the streets and no longer able to sell drugs.

“This was a great effort by the whole team, notably those officers who suspected something wasn’t right and stopped the car, as their initiative was vital in securing Ashraf’s arrest.

“Tackling the supply of drugs in Bedfordshire is one of our key priorities and this sentence should act as a stark warning to those who think it is acceptable to bring such substances into our county.”