A FAMILY man who returned to drug dealing after he lost his job was jailed when police unearthed £16,000 of amphetamine and cannabis at his home.

Grandfather Mazhar Ali, 51, of Commercial Road, Newport, was locked up for six years in 1997 for trafficking heroin.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the defendant had largely trod the straight and narrow for around 20 years before he was caught dealing again.

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Prosecutor David Pugh said police raided Ali’s flat after they investigated reports of drug dealing at Francis Drive in the Pill area of Newport.

They found 1.1 kg of cannabis, with a street value of £16,000, 68 grams of amphetamine, and more than £1,200 in cash.

He pleaded guilty to possessing amphetamine and cannabis with intent to supply on February 9.

Mr Pugh said Ali had 17 previous convictions for 30 offences but had nothing on his record since a failing to surrender rap in 2002.

Gareth Williams, mitigating, said: “The most important factor are his guilty pleas.”

His barrister added: “The defendant has shown in the past that he is capable of being a good member of the community.

“He worked as a forklift driver for many years and raised a family. He has four children and two grandchildren.

“The defendant lost his job and there was a breakdown in his relationship. When deciding to socialise, he made a big mistake.”

Mr Williams told the court that Ali has lost three members of his family since being held in custody following his arrest in March.

Judge Michael Fitton QC told the defendant: “You are not a young man, you have been to prison for a number of years in the past for the supply of class A drugs, and you are certainly not naïve.

“This was a commercial enterprise.”

He jailed him for 12 months and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge upon his release from prison.

The amphetamine and cannabis will be destroyed and the cash seized handed over to Gwent Police to help in their war against drugs.

Outside the court, Police Constable Shaf Khan, the officer in the case, said: “Mazhar Ali was arrested after being found in possession of a large quantity of controlled drugs and money.

“Mr Ali was clearly making a significant profit from selling controlled drugs which was having a detrimental impact on the community of Pillgwenlly.”

“Pill Neighbourhood Policing Team remain committed to tackling these issues and encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious or illegal activity in the area to report it to us on 101 or DM the Gwent Police Facebook or Twitter pages.

“You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”