Crystal meth dealer still at large

“We need to locate him and bring him to justice so he can serve his time"

A CRYSTAL meth dealer who has been on the run for over five years is still at large for drugs offences.

Mehdi Esmalpoor (43) failed to surrender to Sheffield Crown Court back in 2017 after he was charged with conspiracy to produce Class A drugs in connection with a raid in Rotherham.

In his absence, Esmalpoor was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison along with two other defendants.

Police seized a large quantity of suspected crystal meth and apparatus in 2016 from a property on Broom Valley Road.

However, Mr Esmalpoor still remains at large and he has now appeared on Crimewatch’s most wanted criminals today (October 5).

Detective Chief Inspector Anna Sedgwick, who is overseeing the manhunt for Esmalpoor, said: “We have undertaken extensive enquiries both within the UK and abroad to try and locate him to no avail.

“We hope that the broadcast today on Crimewatch elicits some new information and lines of enquiry about his whereabouts.

“The offence that Esmalpoor has been convicted and sentenced for is one that is incredibly serious.

“Crystal meth is a very, very dangerous substance — not just for users in terms of the health risks, but in its production as well.

“Extremely volatile materials and processes have to be followed in the production of this drug, which puts the lives of the wider community at risk too.

“This danger is quite rightly recognised by the courts and Esmalpoor’s prison sentence reflects this.

“We need to locate him and bring him to justice so he can serve his time.

“You can contact us using our new live webchat service, our online portal or by calling 101. Please quote reference number 138 of October 5, 2022.”