A convicted drug-dealer who was one of the last people to see Jay Slater before he went missing in Tenerife was known as ‘Whispers’ by his criminal associates, it has been revealed.
Ayub Qassim was one of two men who invited the 19-year-old back to an Airbnb rental property close to the remote village of Masca in the early hours of June 17. He said Jay ‘arrived at the property alive and left alive’ the following morning.
It has now been revealed that Qassim, who Spanish police have deemed of ‘no relevance’ to their missing person investigation, was known as ‘Whispers’ by his associates because of ‘his soft voice’.
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Rhoda Singh, 59, told the Mirror she was ‘shocked’ to discover Qassim, 31, was a key witness in the hunt for Jay. Cardiff-born Rhoda appeared in court on drugs charges nine years ago with Qassim, who also uses the nickname ‘Johnny Vegas’.
Rhoda said: “I knew him as Whispers but itâs definitely the same person – I should know we were in court together. Weâve lost touch over the last couple of years but Whispers is a quiet, polite and gentle fella, heâs not a murderer or anything like that.
“He wouldnât hurt a fly. They called him Whispers because of his quiet soft voice.”
Qassim was put behind bars in 2015 as the ringleader of a London-based gang dealing heroin and crack cocaine in Cardiff. Rhoda still lives in the two-bedroomed terraced house in Split, Cardiff, which was raided by 30 cops in October 2014.
Qassim was jailed for nine years but heroin addict Rhoda was let off with a suspended sentence for allowing her home to be used by the London-based drugs gang. She said: “The judge took a liking to me and realised I was quite innocent of what was going on.
“Whispers and his gang were based around the corner from me – I know it sounds unlikely but they just happened to be in my house at the time. I first met Whispers while clubbing with friends in London, then we saw each other again when he came to Cardiff.
“He never operated from my home but the police saw him and his mates come in here and the next thing the door was being kicked down.â
Rhoda was given a Drug Rehabilitation Order at Cardiff Crown Court and has been clean of heroin ever since. She is now battling lung cancer and her weight is down to five-and-a-half stone.
Rhoda said: “I havenât heard from Whispers for a few years. He used to ring me from prison to make sure I was OK.
“I think he felt bad that I got caught up in what was going on in his life. I was on heroin for 20 years but I wasnât involved in dealing or anything.
“I didnât know he was in Tenerife or that he is now nicknamed Johnny Vegas, he will always be Whispers to me.”
Jay, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing more than three weeks ago on the Spanish island. After almost two weeks of hunting for Jay in vast and mountainous terrain, Spanish police called off the search on the ground on June 30.
Yesterday (July 9), police insisted that several lines of enquiry were still being pursued. A source close to the case insisted investigators were not working on the basis Jay was ‘missing feared dead’.
Asked whether the investigation had moved on and police now had a clearer idea of what had happened to Jay, a spokesman for the Civil Guard said: “The investigation is ongoing and several lines of inquiry are being pursued.”
Today, an new investigation by our sister site the Express revealed a link between Jay’s case and Tenerifeâs network of cannabis clubs – through Qassim. Qassim is reportedly friends with Jamel Bousbaa, a British rapper known as Potter Payper, who also owns a cannabis club on the island called Potterâs Garden.
There have been reports that Qassim was in Tenerife to run Bousbaaâs business. The Sun claimed it had been told by a source that ‘once Potter opened up the cannabis cafe in Tenerife he decided that Ayub was the guy to run it’.
They added: âAyub is one of Potterâs main guys. They go way back and were friends back in London.â
Qassim has returned to London from the island. The Express asked Potter Payper how he was able to operate a club when it was illegal to run them as businesses or for foreigners to be the owners and have not received a response.
The Express also asked him why Potterâs Garden does not appear on the official register for legal cannabis clubs. He has not responded to this request.
Bousbaa was also asked to clarify his relationship with Qassim and why there were multiple pictures of the pair together. But again he did not respond.
Read more of today’s top stories here
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