Northampton drug mule spends just six weeks inside after being caught with two kilos of drugs and cash

A Northampton drug mule caught with two kilograms of drugs and more than £7,000 cash has been given a suspended sentence after he spent six weeks in jail.

Arjan Topi, 39, of Purser Road, Abington, was caught by police after running away from officers, carrying a yellow bag of cash totaling £3,390.

Two one-kilogram bags of marijuana were also found discarded nearby, Northampton Crown Court heard at a hearing on today (January 20).

Topi's prosecuting barrister said: "Uniformed officers saw two men that seemed to actively want to avoid them, by changing direction once they saw them. The officers then blared the horn of their police vehicle and the two then ran away.

"One of them fled across a park until he encountered a wall of foliage that he was unable to pass through, and subsequently gave himself up to police. That individual turned out to be the defendant."

Police then searched two properties linked to Topi, where they found a further wodge of £3,170 in cash. It was this that led authorities to believe Topi was a mule for drug dealers in the area.

This meant that he was used by the dealers to transport money and, or drugs without directly incriminating themselves, leaving Topi to take the fall.

Topi offered no comment at every stage of interrogation, except to confirm minor details.

Her Honour Rebecca Crane, presiding, said: "He was, in effect, working as a carrier, as opposed to the drugs on him being intended for him to sell.

"Make no mistake, people who traffic in drugs in this town do go to prison.

"But you have no previous convictions recorded against you. You have already spent six weeks in custody and that period has caused great difficulty for you and your family.

"You clearly deeply regret becoming involved in trying to make money in this extremely foolish and criminal way.

"I believe there needs to be further work done with you to ensure that you return to your previous hard working, non-criminal ways, as you were before."

Topi was given a six month prison term suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid work and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days, to address his 'decision making'.