A gym boss who lost his job in lockdown descended into crime and took on a 'leading role' in organised drugs gang. Nabeel Issawi worked as a gym manager, but the coronavirus restrictions meant that they were shut for months at the height of the pandemic.
He was left 'stranded' with no ability to earn and was 'foolishly' tempted into serious crime, Manchester Crown Court heard. A law enforcement hack of the secretive and highly encrypted EncroChat network revealed that Issawi, 33, then became involved in dealing huge amounts of drugs.
Issawi was linked to the supply of more than 60 kilos of cocaine, between April and June in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Prosecutors said that Issawi used the EncroChat handle 'Famous one is back', and was in contact with another user called 'Greymoon'.
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The pair spoke about buying kilos of cocaine and selling them on, prosecutor Duncan Wilcock said. But Issawi's barrister said the defendant made 'very little money' from his involvement in drug dealing.
"This defendant was arrested in a two up two down, back to back in Preston," Paul Hodgkinson said. "That is not his home, he was renting."
Issawi had previously been jailed for more than six years in 2014 for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was involved with the gym at Kirkham prison in Lancashire and after being released he started work as a gym instructor, the court heard.
Mr Hodgkinson said Issawi had got a job as a manager in a gym, and was enrolling in a sports science degree. "This defendant tried to make a go out of it," he said. "Things were going well, and lockdown occurred.
"It coincides about three weeks after lockdown when gyms were closed and in effect he lost his job. He was then left stranded, no money, no job, no ability to earn any money.
"Foolishly he was persuaded by others to become involved in this operation. He was used in this scenario." Issawi, of Poplar Avenue, Warton, Preston, was jailed for 13 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
"It's rare, extremely rare, for a defendant involved at such a high level to indicate a guilty plea to such an offence," Judge Anthony Cross QC told Issawi.
"You were part of that operation as a leading role in the organised crime group. It's clear you had a high level of knowledge and complete understanding of the organisational side.
"You were able to make commands and decisions without need of approval and the evidence suggests you had absolute understanding of the dynamic of the drug arena you were working within. You have an unhappy record, including conspiracy to supply in which you were jailed for 81 months.
"You did try to make a go of it but you failed and slipped back into your older habits. You must be punished for that. The quantity involved was over 60 kilos. This was a courageous plea and demonstrates your remorse and that you are desirous about putting behind you this life of crime."
