AN ILLEGAL immigrant dealt cocaine on the streets of Bournemouth to pay off the £14,000 he owed to people who arranged his entry into the United Kingdom.

Oltjon Allkufhi was "pressured and intimidated" into becoming involved in the drug operation as the organisation who facilitated his transport said he was not paying his debt back quick enough.

Following complaints by residents about suspicious activity in the Springbourne area, a plain clothed police constable saw Allkufhi involved in what appeared to be an exchange of drugs with a man on a bicycle in May of this year.

Officers were called to assist and they stopped the 25-year-old in Holdenhurst Road. He had wraps of cocaine, weighing a total of around 250g, in his pocket along with cash and a mobile phone, which contained messages about a drug dealing operation.

Police also found a key on him which accessed a HMO nearby. Inside they found a safe with another 500g of cocaine, cash, scales and drug paraphernalia.

The defendant admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal cash and was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, September 28.

Prosecuting Rob Griffiths said Allkufhi, of Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, had been in the country for around two years.

The barrister told the hearing that the defendant had been required to pay off his debt for his access to the country but he was not paying it off as quickly as they wanted, so after six months they asked him to assist in dealing class A drugs.

"Threats were made to him about his family in Albania if he did not act how they wanted," said Mr Griffiths.

The court heard he did not claim to be a victim of modern slavery and he was involved in the criminal activity without being under redress.

Mr Griffiths added: "His job was to collect cocaine from the safe and deliver it to another location."

The overall value of the drugs found on him and in the safe was in excess of £60,000.

Mitigating Giles Bedloe said Allkufhi admitted his role in the operation but he remains in debt to the people who transported him to the United Kingdom.

"The courts are familiar with this sort of circumstance, regrettably," said Mr Bedloe. "Immigrants being brought in and then being taken advantage of once in the country."

He added that immigrants are "at the mercy" of those who brought them into the country and the defendant's only wish is to return to Albania as soon as possible.

Mr Bedloe said: "It remains the case that both he and his family in Albania are at risk of recrimination."

In sentencing Allkufhi to three years and nine months in prison, Recorder Alexia Power told the defendant his dealing of class A drugs brought "misery" to the community.

"Even if you were working for others, you were clearly trusted and knew full well the scale of the dealing," she added.