A DRUG dealer offering cannabis for sale 24 hours a day, seven days a week, returned to trafficking after he’d already been caught red-handed once before.

Azeem Abbas, 25, from Newport, was jailed after a judge told him he had returned to a life of crime “without a care in the world”.

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Prosecutor Richard Ace said he was first arrested following a dramatic chase in the Corporation Road area of the city on the night of September 25, 2020.

He was carrying a knuckleduster, mobile phone and cash but a police dog handler found a bag he had thrown away during the pursuit.

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Inside were 18 bags of cannabis with a potential street value of £190.

Officers later recovered another mobile phone which had also been tossed away during the chase.

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Mr Ace told Cardiff Crown Court: “The phones were analysed and the police found a large number of messages relating to the supply of drugs.

“There are words like herbs and draw and the defendant said he could be contacted 24/7.”

Abbas was released under investigation but he was caught drug dealing again on June 3.

Mr Ace said: “Officers on mobile patrol in the Corporation Road area saw the defendant on an electric bike on the George Street Bridge.

“He was carrying a man bag and talking to a number of individuals.

“The defendant was stopped near the bus depot and the man bag was searched.

“The police found 3.7g of cannabis and 34 1g deals. The drugs had a street value of between £340 and £380.

“A mobile phone they seized contained talk of a half ounce deal and offers of ‘banging ammo’ for sale.”

Abbas, of Vivian Road, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possession of an offensive weapon in public.

He had one previous conviction for possession of a class A drug for which he was fined.

David Pinnell, representing Abbas, said: “The defendant had a significant cannabis habit and was supplying for profit in order to underwrite his own drug use.”

He added how his client had got a job working at a WH Smith depot in Newport and started “to turn his life around”.

The judge, Recorder Greg Bull QC, told the defendant: “You were arrested, released and then in June you started doing exactly the same thing without a care in the world.

“You are a determined street dealer of cannabis.

“Analysis of your phone revealed a depressing tale. You had been dealing for a considerable amount of time.”

Abbas was jailed for 10 months.