A MAN who hid nearly 100 grams of cocaine worth up to £10,000 in his family home – including his child’s bedroom – has been jailed.

Tasleem Mohammed, 30, had pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying heroin, one count of being concerned in the supply of heroin and possession with intent to supply cocaine.

The court heard that his home in St Michael Street, Newport, had been searched after he was caught supplying drugs by undercover police officers as part of Operation Jewels.

In February of this year, an undercover officer – codenamed “Cassie – organised to meet Mohammed in Christchurch Road in order to buy a £20 wrap of heroin.

Prosecutor Sian Rees said that the defendant arrived in a VW Golf with three other occupants inside, and the drugs were handed over by a male passenger.

The officer then met with Mohammed two more times in the same month, with the defendant directly handing her a single £20 bag of heroin on both occasions.

Two months later police arrested Mohammed at his home, which he shared with his girlfriend and their one-year-old child.

“It was there that a large amount of white powder was found around the house,” said Ms Rees.

“Some had also been found in the toilet bowl, where the defendant had been trying to hide it.”

Police found several batches of cocaine throughout the house, including an 80 gram stash that was 86 per cent pure and worth around £8,800.

Two more bundles of cocaine, with a street value of £595 and £500 respectively, were also uncovered alongside mobile phones, snack bags and other drug paraphernalia.

Scott Bowen, defending, told the court that drugs found in the child’s bedroom had been kept there by Mohammed because he had been living in the room.

He added: “In February he was supplying heroin and was using it himself and was extremely concerned with his addictive behaviour.

“He took to self-medicating by using heroin and cocaine in April, which is why police found cocaine as opposed to heroin - he was an addict.”

The court heard that Mohammed had previously been convicted of supplying class A drugs on two occasions in 2013 and 2014.

Prior to sentencing him to three years and eight months imprisonment, Judge Daniel Williams said: “Your role in this was significant as you were a street dealer, and this is aggravated by your previous convictions and possession of cocaine.”