A CRIMINAL caught with more than 24,000 Valium tablets was later found to have £82,000 worth of heroin hidden in a safe.

Shehzard Ali, 29, was stopped by police when he was driving on Cardiff Road in Newport on August 22, prosecutor James Evans said.

They found 24,570 Valium tablets inside his Citroen car with the pills having a street value of between £6,000 and £24,000.

Officers also recovered two knives and a small amount of cocaine from the vehicle, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

After his arrest a search of Ali’s home uncovered two packages of heroin weighing 497g and 331g inside the safe.

MORE NEWS: Watch: Cold-blooded murderer buys beer after beating his mum to death

The prosecution accepted that the defendant was acting as the “custodian” of the drugs.

The defendant, of Ariel Reach, Newport pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to supply, possession of Valium with intent to supply, possession of cocaine and two counts of possession of a knife.

He had no relevant previous convictions.

Gareth Williams representing Ali said his client became involved with drug dealers after getting into debt as a result of his own cannabis habit.

“He was a custodian, holding the drugs for someone else,” his barrister said.

“The defendant made a very bad decision, a stupid decision, and it’s one that he regrets and that’s he’s remorseful about.”

Judge David Wynn Morgan told Ali: “People like you are taken advantage of by more sophisticated criminals.

“As Mr Williams has rightly pointed out, you made a very, very bad decision.

“I hope it's the last decision of that kind that you will ever make.

“People who assist other people in the supply of drugs always go to prison.

“There’s a reason for that – it is to discourage others from behaving in the way that you were foolish enough to behave in this instance.”

The defendant was jailed for 42 months and told he would serve half of that sentence before being released on licence.

Judge Wynn Morgan ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.

Ali will have to pay a victim surcharge following his release from custody.