Two Nelson men have avoided jail after Burnley Crown Court heard the duo ran a cannabis delivery service.
Junaid Akhlaq (27), of Chapelhouse Road, and Rizwan Shah (29), of Albert Street, both Nelson, delivered cannabis to order in £10 bags.
Akhlaq was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and handed a supervision order and 250 hours of community work.
Shah was handed a 12 month jail sentence, also suspended for 18 months, and received a supervision order and a drug rehabilitation requirement for the length of the sentence.
Miss Sarah Statham (prosecuting) said the pair had been stopped in a black Peugeot in November last year when Akhlaq was found to have a snap-bag of ecstasy and a phone. Shah had a similar bag of cannabis, £275 cash and a phone.
Underneath the passenger seat, 10 bags of cannabis with a £10 value each, were discovered, and these were said to be ready for delivery.
Text messages from friends of the pair asking for delivery of cannabis were found on the phones.
Both Akhlaq and Shah pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply. Akhlaq also pleaded guilty to possession cocaine and possession of ecstasy.
Recorder Kevin Talbot said to Akhlaq: “You knew entirely the risks you were taking. Pedalling cannabis on the street is simply unacceptable.”
Recorder Talbot said it was “very ill considered” for Shah to get into drug delivery and added both should consider themselves “extremely fortunate” to have avoided custody.