The mystery surrounding the disappearance of British teenager Jay Slater on the island of Tenerife has taken a dark turn with the revelation that one of the last individuals to see him is a convicted drug dealer .
Ayub Qassim, 31, who was imprisoned nine years ago for orchestrating a scheme to inundate Wales with Class A drugs, had rented an Airbnb , Casa Abuela Tina, situated near the secluded village of Masca for a modest £40 ($50) per night, using the name Ayub Abdul. On June 17, Jay reportedly stayed at the cottage with two men but after 5am he vanished without a trace .
It's believed that Qassim invited Jay to the holiday home following a rave in southern Tenerife, only for Jay to go missing the subsequent day. Qassim, alongside an unnamed companion, has been in contact with Spanish authorities and even prolonged his stay by a day to aid in the investigation into Jay's disappearance.
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Speaking to Mail Online, Qassim remarked: "The only comment I have to make is that Jay came to the house alive, and he left the house alive." He also mentioned providing Jay with a "blanket to sleep in" and insisted there was no altercation between them.
A Snapchat photo sent by Jay to his friends at 7.30 am on the morning he disappeared shows him with a cigarette, draped in a red blanket. "I let the geezer stay at mine because he had nowhere else to go, his friends had all left him. I know Jay, through friends, I'm not going to bring someone back to mine if I don't know them," he explained.
"I'm doing the geezer a favor and now my face is all over the news. It's a bit mental. I haven't even done anything. If I'd fallen out with him would he even come to mine?" After speaking to Spanish police about Jay's disappearance, Qassim has returned from his trip to his family's apartment in Barking, East London.
He maintains that he "hasn't done anything wrong" and says he "hasn't got a problem" with Jay or his friends. Qassim has been identified as the leader of a London-based crime gang who imported heroin and crack cocaine to Cardiff, Wales.
The police raided the property years ago, where they found drugs, cash, mobile phones, and digital scales. Qassim was convicted and sentenced to nine years and nine months.
Jay is also known to have left the cottage at the same time to catch a bus back to his holiday apartment. A witness reported that he asked her about the next bus's arrival. When she informed him that the next one wouldn't arrive until 10 am, he is believed to have attempted the 11-hour walk back to his holiday accommodation.
Jay allegedly told friends on Snapchat that he'd stolen a £12k ($15k) Rolex watch the night before he disappeared. Detective Mark confirmed the news, stating: "We know that shortly before 6am on Monday the seventh of June, Jay left the area of Veronica Strip in [Playa de] Las Americas in a Seat Leon hire car with two males casually known to him."
"Jay and a number of his friends had spent time with them both over the previous two days. All three males including Jay traveled north by the main motorway, the TF1, to go to the two males' holiday rental, Casa de Abuela Tina, which was about an hour's drive away."
"On route, Jay posted a Snapchat saying he had stolen a £12,000 Rolex from a person. We've been unable to validate this in terms of reporting. However, friends of Jay said he would not make this up and the watch was subject to later conversation between the friends."
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