A Birmingham drug dealer has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of a violent metal pole attack and possessing cannabis worth more than £12,000.
City Centre Confrontation Leads to Arrest
Xiao Long Lin, 28, from Essex Street in Birmingham, was first identified by West Midlands Police officers during a patrol in the Southside area in May. The district encompasses the Chinese Quarter, Arcadian Centre and Gay Village.
Officers stopped a suspicious vehicle where Lin was travelling as a passenger. Checks revealed he was wanted in connection with an assault that had occurred the previous September.
Violent Past and Drug Discovery
The assault involved Lin attacking a man with a metal pole outside a Birmingham apartment block. Following his detention in the vehicle stop, police searched his home on Essex Street.
During the search, officers discovered two suitcases filled with cannabis in Lin's bedroom. The drugs were estimated to have a street value of over £12,000.
Lin was subsequently arrested for possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply, in addition to the assault charges.
Court Sentencing and Police Response
At Birmingham Crown Court, Lin admitted to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and had previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply a Class B drug.
He received a prison sentence of two years and three months and was given a restraining order prohibiting contact with his assault victim.
Investigating officer PC Scott Sheppard commented: "Operation Fearless targets many forms of criminality, and we are pleased that Lin has faced justice not just for a nasty assault, but also for supplying drugs."
"A team effort during a fast-moving investigation meant that we were also able to seize a significant quantity of drugs that would have brought harm to our community."
Detective Inspector Tom Lyons of Operation Fearless added: "Fearless exists to tackle the problems raised to us by communities – and we know drug dealing is one of them. We're always grateful to the community for any information they can provide to us, and we won't let up in trying to disrupt all forms of criminality."
