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Armed drug dealer caught hiding in bush is jailed

Isabella BonehamWest Midlands
West Midlands Police A portrait-style image showing a bearded man wearing a dark top and wireless earbuds, standing in front of tall cannabis plants inside what appears to be a greenhouse or indoor growing structure.West Midlands Police
This image of Raheem Khan posing in front of cannabis was found on his phone by police

An armed drug dealer who was found hiding in a bush after reports of a break-in has been jailed for 12 years.

West Midlands Police officers were called to a property on Vicarage Road in Halesowen in the early hours of 29 August, where they discovered a loaded handgun, more than 330g of ketamine and cocaine, cash and scales.

Raheem Khan, 27, of New John Street, Halesowen, fled from the scene as officers arrived, but was found nearby hiding in a bush.

He admitted charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition, and being concerned in the supply of cocaine, cannabis and ketamine on the second day of his trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Police said they had found text messages showing that Khan was supplying cocaine and cannabis to others, and his search history showed he had been researching firearms of the type recovered from the property.

West Midlands Police Photograph of items recovered during a police investigation laid out on a dark tabletop. Visible objects include a black handgun in the foreground, two smartphones, a can of drink, and a packet of cigarettes.West Midlands Police
The loaded handgun recovered from the property on Vicarage Road in Dudley

Det Sgt Ryan Matthews said the crime "turned out not to be a burglary" but the building was "used as a bit of a hideout" by Khan and a "base of operations for his criminal operation".

West Midlands Police Custody-style photograph of a person with dark hair pulled back and a full beard, wearing a light-coloured T-shirt and facing the camera against a plain grey background.West Midlands Police
Raheem Khan was jailed for 12 years at Wolverhampton Crown Court

Khan, who initially denied the charges but admitted them all during his trial, was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday.

Matthews added: "The fact that we recovered a loaded firearm and a significant quantity of drugs, together with the images and text messages on his phone, shows that he was heavily involved in drug dealing, and the lengthy sentence passed by the courts reflects that."

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