A gym boss became a drug dealer after he lost his job during lockdown.
Nabeel Issawi, 33, worked as a gym manager but as Covid struck the UK he found himself “stranded” with no way to earn.
During the height of the pandemic, the ex-con from Warton, Preston, began to get involved in drug dealing, sealing huge amounts of cocaine, Manchester Evening News reported .
He was linked to supplying more than 60 kilos of cocaine between April and June in 2020 and has now been jailed for 13 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Manchester Crown Court heard how Issawi was “foolishly” tempted into drug dealing.
His crimes were exposed in the law enforcement hack of the encrypted network EncroChat.
Prosecutors said he used the EncroChat handle ‘Famous one is back’ and was in contact with another user called ‘Greymoon’.
The pair discussed buying kilos of cocaine and selling them on, prosecutor Duncan Wilcock said.
But Issawi’s barrister claimed the defendant made “very little money” from peddling drugs.
This was not the first time Issawi had dealt drugs, and back in 2014 he was jailed for more than six years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
While in prison, he had got involved with the gym, then continued this, working as an instructor later when released, the court was told.
Paul Hodgkinson, the defendant’s barrister, said that Issawi had gotten the job as a manager in a gym and was enrolling in a sports science degree.
He said: "This defendant tried to make a go out of it. 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."
Judge Anthony Cross, QC, told Issawi: "It's rare, extremely rare, for a defendant involved at such a high level to indicate a guilty plea to such an offence.
"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."
