AN AMAZON worker was caught smuggling drugs with a potential value of nearly £5,000 into prison when he was visiting a notorious inmate.

Adil Ali, 24, was spotted by staff handing cannabis hidden inside a chocolate bar wrapper to hardened Newport criminal Jamie Challis at Parc Prison in Bridgend.

Andrew Kendall, prosecuting, said the defendant was arrested on July 24 and 96.89g of cannabis resin in five packages was seized.

Ali is also a seasoned criminal and was locked up for 32 months in 2017 for being part of a gang supplying heroin in Newport.

The defendant, of no fixed abode, Newport pleaded guilty to bringing a prohibited article into a prison and supplying cannabis.

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His barrister Eugene Egan said in mitigation: “The benefit ultimately of this crime is almost always received, if successful, by the inmates on the inside.

“Security inside prisons for visitors is tight.

“There is usually a body search, there’s CCTV and there are drug dogs sniffing around intermittently.

“The person going in takes a significant risk and if you get caught you have to do what this defendant did and put your hands up and say that you did it.”

Mr Egan added: “He's still a relatively young man and he has a decent work record.

“He was working in the warehouse trade, essentially working long shifts in Magor at the Amazon warehouse and also with WH Smith.

“Had he not been incarcerated in July, his intention was to go to Nash College and do a plumbing course there.”

The judge, Recorder Richard Kember, told Ali: “In the visitors’ area, you were sitting at a table talking to Jamie Challis.

“You took out an item with your right hand while he lifted up a paper napkin and you put the item underneath it.

“You were then taken from the hall and searched and 96.89g of cannabis resin was found.

“The value of this amount of cannabis resin in a custodial setting ranges from between £1,920 to £4,800 – a significant amount of money.

“You were arrested and you gave a no comment interview but when you were charged you said, ‘I'm guilty.’

“You knew what you were doing and you were prepared to take the risk.”

Ali was jailed for 10 months at Newport Crown Court and ordered to pay a £187 victim surcharge following his release from prison.