By Omar Bah
At least 4 Gambian nationals, Saibou Sidibeh, Abdou Jobarteh, Abdoulie Mbye and Fafa Nyabally have been handed different sentences at a Newcastle Crown Court for drugs offences, UK newspaper the Guardian reported. Whilst Sidibeh and Jorbateh were jailed, Mbye and Nyabally were spared prison for their part in the offence. The four were caught with a cocktail of drugs which they were peddling in a lucrative supply network across Tyneside. They played various roles in a narcotics gang operating in Newcastle and Gateshead which was smashed by police in a series of operations. Large amounts of cannabis were recovered from cars and homes, along with cocaine, MDMA, ketamine and a designer cocktail of ketamine and cocaine, known as “Calvin Klein”.
Mr Sidibeh pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply MDMA and cannabis and possessing cocaine and a pepper spray in relation to offences which took place on March 8 2018. Police saw him in a car in Shielfield, Newcastle, around 9.15pm and two men approached him at the passenger window and a drugs exchange took place.
According to the police, when they approached and searched his car, they found 68 bags of cannabis in a bag and pepper spray in the glove compartment. There were also three mobile phones containing texts consistent with drug dealing. Police said a further search of his house revealed more cannabis, MDMA, a small amount of cocaine, £3,500 cash and the total value of the cannabis in the car and house was more than £8,000.
Meanwhile, Abdou Jobarteh and Abdoulie Mbye pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply in relation to offences on March 21 2018. Jobarteh also admitted supplying cannabis. Police on Stepney Lane, Newcastle, said they saw Jobarteh selling £50 of cannabis to a student and then went to his home, where they found £6,000 of cannabis, drug dealing phones, scales and more than £2,500 cash.
In a bedroom, police said they found a large number of documents related to Mbye and a wallet containing £5,000 cash in various currencies, mainly Scottish notes. Police said Mbye was arrested at another address and also pleaded guilty to possessing fraudulent identity documents, a passport and identity document he sent to a third party, which were intercepted by Border Force.
All four men were arrested after police executed a search warrant at Willbrook House, Gatehead, in March 2019 and found a large quantity of drugs. There were five kilos of cannabis in the attic, worth up to £17,000.
Police said during a search in Nyabally’s house behind a mirror in his bathroom there was a cavity where various drugs were hidden, including cocaine worth up to £2,500. Police also found around £1,000 of MDMA, cannabis worth £2,500 and £400 of ketamine. There was also a mixture of cocaine and ketamine, which the court heard was a designer drug known as Calvin Klein.
Nyabally was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of cannabis and Sidibeh was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and ketamine.
Sidibeh, 29, of Granville Court, Jesmond, was jailed for a total of eight years. Jobarteh, 38, of Graingerville South, Newcastle, was locked up for four years. Mbye, 41, of Hawthorn Place, Cruddas Park, Newcastle, got 22 months suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work. Nyabally, 22, of Auchentibber Court, Glasgow, was given a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work.
