A former director of a Caerphilly discount shop has been jailed for selling ‘legal highs’.
Kashif Iqbal, 37, was jailed for three years and six months for selling banned substances from his shop, Rebel Rebel on Woodfield Street in Morriston, Swansea.
According to Companies House, Iqbal was a director of Discount World Stores Ltd, the former Woolworths on Pentrebane Street.
Companies House state that he resigned on December 31 last year.
Iqbal pleaded guilty to selling banned goods during a hearing at Swansea Crown Court.
Zafar Iqbal, current director of Discount World Stores Ltd, said Kashif Iqbal left the business to set up Rebel Rebel in Swansea on his own.
Mr Iqbal said: “Even though he resigned in December he has had nothing to do with the business for at least three years.
“We have never sold ‘legal highs’ or anything of that nature and have had no issue with trading standards in the 18 years we’ve been in the town.
“There is absolutely no link between this case and this business (Discount World Stores Ltd).”
South Wales Police claimed the substances sold by Kashif Iqbal led to a rise in anti-social behaviour in the Morriston area of the city.
Morriston Local Policing Inspector, Tony Meyrick, said: “There is no doubt that the sale of these products from the Rebel Rebel shop in Morriston has been the catalyst for anti-social behaviour in the town.
“Local officers have received a constant stream of information and complaints about the trading practices of the premises, particularly around the sale of products to local youths.”
So-called legal highs, or new psychoactive substances (NPS), include controlled and legal substances, as well as new drugs that are not yet illegal.
Legal NPS’ are not regulated in the way other legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco are.
An Independent Town Councillor Raised this issue, in the town Council and with the Gwent Police, five years ago about concerns he had in Caerphilly.