Leicester man jailed after £300,000 worth of heroin recovered

The discovery of a substantial stash of class A drugs – a quantity rarely seen in Leicestershire – has led to a man being jailed for 18 years.

Fadeel Hanslod was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday (1 March) after a rucksack containing 6kg of heroin, two pistols and multiple rounds of ammunition, was found in the alleyway next to his flat in Derwent Street, Leicester.

Police were made aware of the hoard after the bag was discovered on the morning of Tuesday 12 April 2022.

Following the find, an investigation began and subsequent enquiries quickly led detectives to declare Hanslod a suspect and he was arrested.

Forensic examination found fingerprints on the bags of heroin - these were identified as belonging to the 36-year-old. His DNA was also found on the two weapons.

Testing of the powder confirmed there was 6kg of heroin, with a street value of £299,750 and 940g of phenacetin – a known cutting agent for class A drugs.

Bags of heroin aand phenacetin found inside the rucksack

Upon examining the stash, Nick Evans, Leicestershire Police’s controlled drug expert said: “The quantity of drug found is rarely seen in Leicestershire and at the time would have constituted a considerable percentage of the heroin currently available in the county.”

During the trial this week at Leicester Crown Court, Hanslod changed his plea – pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a prohibited firearm for sale and transfer and one count of possession of a class A drug.

He was sentenced to seven years for the firearms offences and 11 years for possession of the heroin.

PC Joe Turner, from the force’s Serious and Organised Crime Pursue team, was the investigating officer in the case.

He said: “Heroin is an extremely dangerous and addictive drug which brings with it violence and the exploitation of vulnerable people.

“Tackling the supply of drugs and associated criminality remains a high priority for the force and I am relieved this huge quantity has been taken off the streets before it was able to cause harm in our communities.”