The girlfriend of a convicted drug-dealer who peddled cocaine and ecstasy to her pals treated buying drugs like 'going to a supermarket', a court heard.
Recruitment specialist Pavandeep Nijjar organised packages of drugs for her social circle - using associates of her criminal boyfriend Charlie Jacob, Minshull Street Crown Court was told. The 29-year-old, a former fashion buyer and university graduate, was said to have treated cocaine and ecstasy 'like a shopping commodity'.
A judge compared her activities - over a three-year period between 2019 and 2022 - to a shopper going to a supermarket and asking friends 'does anybody want anything?'. Police uncovered her sideline after arresting 27-year old Jacob over a £40,000 shipment of MDMA which was intercepted by border force officers.
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Nijjar's phone was examined during the investigation into Jacob and was found to contain incriminating messages she exchanged including one that read 'Chels, any coke for tomorrow?'. During the exchange 'Chels' responded 'Not for me but Marc may want a line'.
Nijjar messaged back and said 'I'm getting a bag anyway so he can have a line from that'. The court heard another message was sent by Nijjar whilst she was on holiday in Croatia in which she placed a drugs order for herself and her friends.
She asked the dealer 'can we have 5 bags of coke and 3 bags of ket please'. She also placed orders ahead of her social circle going to a music festival.
Jacob himself lived a 'lavish' lifestyle from his own drug dealing with holidays to Amsterdam, Dubai, and America as well as stays at luxury hotels. She bragged of going to Miami and Ibiza and enjoying a 'glass of wine on the beach.'
When quizzed Nijjar admitted drug dealing but insisted she made no profit from the racket. She said: "My friends and I would go out drinking and clubbing very frequently and this included recreational drug use.
"I accept that there were times when I took responsibility for purchasing drugs for these occasions and this is shown in the text messages from my mobile phone. But it did not go further than this."
Nijjar, of Duncan Street, Salford, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine MDMA and ketamine but was sentenced to two years jail suspended for 23 months. She insisted she was now leading a 'completely different lifestyle'.
Jacob was jailed for 10 years at an earlier hearing after he admitted conspiracy to supply, cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and MDMA. Inquiries revealed a receptionist who worked at for the Great Manchester Police Digital Investigation Unit had been tipping off Jacob and his accomplices warning them they were being investigated by detectives and not to use Snapchat.
Nijjar's arrest arose out of police dismantling Jacob's crime empire after Border Force officers intercepted a parcel from the Netherlands addressed to a property he rented out in Denton. The package appeared to contain cat food but it was found to be hiding a haul of MDMA tablets.
Police subsequently raided the rental property and found 28 cannabis plants growing inside before turning up at Jacob's home in nearby Droylsden in December 2021 where they arrested him and found Nijjar in an upstairs bedroom. Jonathan Dickinson, prosecuting, said: "She confirmed that she was his girlfriend and had stayed the night.
"Although, she initially refused to engage with police and wouldn’t provide her details, she eventually did provide them and the password for a mobile phone in her possession. This was unlocked and examination of the phone revealed she is a recreational user of controlled drugs who was involved in the social supply of these drugs for both herself and her friends.
"It was also found that several of Charlie Jacob’s known drug contacts were stored in the device. There is clear evidence she has agreed to purchase cocaine, MDMA and ketamine which she sells to friends who use them recreationally.
"She was involved in the acquisition of MDMA for both herself and her friends and there are a number of messages showing this such as one exchange where she appears to be going to a music festival with friends and organises a substantial drug order for herself and them. She instructs her friends to 'remember cash for drugs' before asking what 'everyone wanting'.
"She proceeds to organise her friends and finalises an order for '5x coke, 4x ket, 4x pills'. She involved herself in the purchase and distribution of Ketamine for both herself and her friends and this is seen a number of times.
"She also kept a digital log of spending on drugs including cocaine that has been stored in the notes section of her device and which of her friends owed what."
Nijjar was eventually arrested at her flat in July 2022. She initially locked herself in the bathroom.
Officers seized another mobile phone upon which messages were found that said she could still sort drug orders but instructing her friends 'not to mention them' in any group chats. She gave no comment in police interview.
Sentencing Judge Mark Savill said there was 'no such thing as recreational drugs' but added: "Her situation was 'I am going to the supermarket, does anybody want anything?'.
"She was doing the purchasing and shopping, whatever you want to call it, of the drugs."
He told Nijjar: "Over that period of time, you were living an entirely different lifestyle than what you do now. That lifestyle involved a number of like-minded friends in similar circumstances, taking class A drugs, cocaine and MDMA, as well as ketamine, when you socialised.
"You were the one who did the buying because you knew where to get if from - but your concern in the supply of drugs was limited to those involved. Furthermore, you were not making any money out of it, you were doing the shopping and buying.
"You treated it like an everyday commodity, asking everybody how much they wanted, and keeping a record and simply doing the buying. But we know that these are very serious powerful addictive drugs, causing deep problems in society.
"Those who take them socially are no less responsible than those who take them in other situations. You are a woman not only lacking in previous convictions but you are of absolutely positive character apart from this.
"I have also read the pre-sentence report which shows you to be an intelligent, hardworking, insightful, and remorseful individual. I bear in mind this offending to be five to two years old and you have shown that you are able to move on from this type of offending behaviour.
"You do not represent a danger to the public, I do not think you will trouble the courts again. I feel I can draw back from immediate custody because of the exceptional circumstances which you involved yourself in and it was some time ago.
"You have shown that you can move on. But anybody listening should know that this is an exceptional set of circumstances and anyone involved in supplying class A drugs will go to prison."
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