A HEROIN courier caught in Haslingden with drugs worth almost £50,000 stuffed down his trousers has been locked up for six years.

Burnley Crown Court heard how addict Mohammed Akmal, 26, who was in the passenger seat of a taxi stopped by police, had a ‘brick’ of heroin, weighing 500 grams and of very high purity, hidden in the front of his pants.

Akmal claimed he had been under instructions to deliver it.

Akmal has a record for drugs trafficking, with previous convictions for supplying heroin and cocaine.

The defendant, living in Huddersfield before he was remanded in custody, had admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply.

Prosecutor Lisa Worsley said police stopped a vehicle on the A56 on January 6. Akmal, who appeared to be messing with the waistband of his trousers, had a mobile phone in his right hand.

He was searched and was found to have a large, square object in the front of his trousers. In a carrier bag was a brick-shaped parcel.

Miss Worsley said the defendant was cautioned and made a number of comments on the way to Burnley Police Station.

He said he knew he was looking at a long sentence and asked: "Where's the nearest jail to here? I’m supposed to be getting married this year. My life is over."

The prosecutor said the brick was sent for analysis and was found to be 500 gram block of heroin, of 60 per cent purity. The wholesale value was £15,000 and the potential street value would be about £45,000.

The defendant had owned up on the basis he had gone to collect the drugs and deliver them by arrangement.

Miss Worsley said in 2007, Akmal was dealt with in court for eight counts of supplying drugs and in 2012, he was given three years behind bars for another eight supply charges. He now faces a proceeds of crime hearing.

Mohammed Nawaz, for Akmal, said he had been an addict for some time and hadworked up a debt. Hewas of limited intellect, was acting under instructions.