An Ipswich drug dealer who hid wraps of crack cocaine and heroin from police in his boxer shorts has been jailed.

Siyabonga Mamabolo, 24, was arrested by police in Iris Close, Ipswich, on January 6 and found to be in possession of £892.72 in cash and a small quantity of cannabis, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Mamabolo was then taken to the police station and when strip searched, three drug wraps fell out of his boxer shorts, Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, told the court.

The wraps contained crack cocaine and heroin valued at £165 and Mamabolo's phone was seized.

The phone was analysed and messages "indicative of drug dealing" were discovered, Mr Hughes said.

In police interview, Mamabolo read a pre-prepared statement saying the drugs were for personal use and the cash belonged to him and his brother.

On July 5, 2018, Mamabolo was arrested again by officers in a wooded area near Orchid Close, Ipswich, and was found to be in possession of two mobile phones and a small amount of cannabis.

Officers then searched the area where they had arrested Mamabolo and discovered a yellow sweet packet which contained a bundle of 54 class A drug wraps in cling film.

Police then found another three class A drug wraps, scales and £595 following a search of his address.

In total, 41 of the wraps contained crack cocaine, while 16 contained heroin.

The drugs were estimated to be worth between £580 and £600.

The two mobile phones were analysed by police and were once again found to contain messages relating to drug dealing, Mr Hughes said.

Mamabolo, of Coltsfoot Road, Ipswich, previously pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing class B drugs (cannabis) and two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine).

Peter Spary, mitigating, said Mamabolo had come to the UK from South Africa to be with his mother but had "fallen in with the wrong crowd".

Mr Spary said Mamabolo had "got free from that life" since his two arrests and had been staying out of trouble.

Recorder Dijen Basu QC jailed Mamabolo for two-and-a-half years, and he will serve half of his sentence in custody before he is released on licence.