Dealer messaged hundreds with offer of cocaine

SHOP WORKER JAILED AFTER HE 'GOT GREEDY'

- By ROB KENNEDY Court reporter

GREEDY shop worker Usman Hussain started selling cocaine as well as groceries and has now been jailed.

Police received intelligence that three mobile phone numbers had been sending out thousands of bulk text messages to hundreds of people advertising drugs for sale, between last December and May this year.

Investigations showed the phones had been topped up at a Best One shop in Northumberland where Hussain was working, and above which he lived.

One of the phones had also made a dropped 999 call at one point and Hussain said his child had called by accident.

And he was further linked to the devices by cell site analysis.

Police executed a search warrant at Hussain's home and an adjacent premises linked to him on June 25.