Jail for Cardiff man who groomed a vulnerable teenage girl to run drugs for him

Police custody picture of Najib Arab.

In the early hours of May 5, 2024, police tracked a teenage girl who had been reported missing from Merthyr Tydfil to an address in Roath, Cardiff, where Najib Arab resided.

During the police investigation, it was revealed that Arab, 29, had been grooming and exploiting the vulnerable girl, offering her free drugs before coercing her into criminal activity.

The pair first met over Snapchat and within weeks, Arab, who the girl knew as ‘BOXER’, got her to bag and run drugs on his behalf. She described how he would make her sell drugs to customers in a lane close to his house. She would also hand over drugs to people in Cardiff City Centre where they would travel on his electric bike.

They met up on multiple occasions and one night when she stayed at Arab’s address, she was reported as missing, which sparked a police search.

When officers arrived at his address in Pen-Y-Waun Road, Cardiff, the girl was found and safeguarded, but Arab had fled over a garden wall. He was arrested ten days later when officers spotted him in the city centre. They searched him and found seven wraps of ketamine and cash. Officers also found evidence of drug dealing on his mobile phone.

He was charged with holding a person in slavery or servitude and possession with intent to supply class B drugs, namely ketamine and cannabis.

He pleaded not guilty all offences but later pleaded guilty to the drugs offences. Following a trail at Cardiff Crown Court, he was found guilty to holding a person in slavery or servitude on April 24.

On Tuesday, July 1, he appeared at Cardiff Crown Court where he was jailed for seven years. He will spend two years on license from the day he is released and was also made the subject of a Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order. 

Detective Constable Jessica Thomas, said: “Najib Arab took advantage of a vulnerable child, putting her in dangerous positions for his own profit. His sentencing sends a clear message that child exploitation has no place in south Wales.

“We remain committed to identifying and safeguarding children in our communities who are being exploited into criminal activity, and we urge those who have concerns to report them to us.”