A former taxi driver who feld the country after his arrest was part of a "large and sophisticated" organised crime group.
Amar Al-Soralmi, 31, played a part in supplying class A and B drugs from Liverpool to Cardiff. Based at Clifton Street in Cardiff, the large scale operation would see drugs transported to South Wales from Liverpool, with cash being sent back.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday that the organised crime group, led by Ahmed Sabbagh-Parry, spanned across 13 months, coming to an end in November 2018. The court was told Al-Soralmi, described as a "street dealer" was a "direct link" between the two cities.
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He even "restocked the drugs" on occasion and "involved others". But in October, a "problem had arisen" in the group, forcing Ahmed Sabbagh-Parry himself to travel to Cardiff to "supervise and control".
Prosecuting, Simon Parry said at the end of October, several members of the OCG were unable to get hold of Al-Soralmi by telephone as he had "taken himself away from Cardiff" and did not resurface until November 9.
But the court heard he was "collected from his girlfriend's house in Widnes" and brought to Liverpool where he was "given a beating". The 31-year-old ended up at Whiston hospital with "serious injuries" to his chest and back, but lied to doctors, claiming they were from martial arts training.
Being sent back to Cardiff the following day, the court heard how the operation continued until Al-Soralmi's arrest on November 20. A BMW that was stopped and searched had several mobile phones and drugs seized.
The address in Clifton Street, Cardiff was later searched and cash and drugs were found as well as weapons. He was arrested and released on license, but he "fled the UK", the court was told, only returning voluntarily in July last year.
Mr Parry added that although a street dealer, Al-Soralmi had "involved others in the enterprise" and had "some awareness" of the scale of the operation, however accepted he had been "coerced and intimidated".
Defence counsel Anthony Barraclough said Al-Soralmi was a "relatively young man" who before his criminal activity was an "impeccable character". He went on to say this was an "organised surrender" and before this he had been a taxi driver.
Mr Barraclough told the court that "something went wrong. Something that enabled these criminals to entrap him." He said Al-Soralmi, who was the last person in the group to be sentenced, fled the UK for "his own safety" and there is "no suggestion he misbehaved in Egypt".
Judge Louise Brandon said Al-Soralmi was "taken and given a beating" but this was a group that was "large, sophisticated and well organised and planned". She added: "Great care was taken to avoid detection by police."
Appearing before the court for conspiracy to supply drugs, Al-Soralmi was given a custodial sentence of a total of 40-months, of which he will serve half.
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