Posted on the 5th June 2026 in PHTM News

CABBIE LOSES LICENCE AFTER BEING CAUGHT WITH DRUGS AND CRIMINAL CASH NEAR CARLISLE

A cabbie has been stripped of his licence after police caught him transporting a kilo of cannabis and thousands of pounds in criminal cash near Carlisle.

Yousaf Hossain, 44, was stopped by police on the southbound side of the M6 motorway after driving to Glasgow to collect the illegal cargo. Inside his vehicle, officers discovered the class B drugs in the boot alongside £9,600 in cash.

Hossain admitted to possessing the cannabis with intent to supply and possessing the criminal cash, confessing he could clearly see the bag he was asked to deliver contained a “large amount of cash.”

During the hearing at Carlisle Crown Court, the defence explained that the trip to Glasgow had initially been booked as a legitimate journey.

Hossain, from Nottingham, admitted to the offences on the basis that he acted strictly as a courier and had no deeper involvement in the wider drug supply operation.

Recorder Philip Grundy stated that defendants must understand the “pernicious” impact of the drugs trade and the way in which it fuels crime and “destroys lives.”

While the judge accepted that Hossain acted only as a courier, he emphasised that the driver "must have been alive to the contents of the bags he transported."

The judge commended the local authority's decision to withdraw Hossain's taxi licence. Since the arrest, Hossain has found new employment as a site manager.

Noting how close the defendant came to prison, Recorder Grundy remarked: “You know how close you came to losing your accommodation if you were deprived of your liberty.”

Hossain was handed a one-year community order, including 10 rehabilitation activity days and 100 hours of unpaid work.


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