Airbnb where Jay Slater stayed was booked by convicted drug dealer

One of the last people to see Jay Slater before he vanished in Tenerife is a convicted drug dealer.

Ayub Qassim, 31, was caged nine years ago after leading an operation to flood Wales with Class A drugs. Qassim booked an Airbnb holiday cottage, Casa Abuela Tina, near the remote village of Masca for £40 a night under the name Ayub Abdul.

19-year-old Jay stayed at the cottage with two men on June 17, and has not been seen or heard from since 5am that morning.

The Mirror reports that it is believed that Qassim invited Jay back to the holiday apartment after going to a rave in the south of Tenerife before he disappeared the next day.

The drugs kingpin, along with an unidentified friend, spoke to the Spanish police and extended his stay by an extra day to discuss the disappearance of Jay.

Qassim told Mail Online: "The only comment I have to make is that Jay came to the house alive, and he left the house alive."

He further said that he gave Jay a "blanket to sleep in" and had no argument or fight with him. Jay could be seen with a cigarette wearing a red blanket in a photo he sent to his friends on Snapchat at 7.30 am the morning he disappeared.

"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 favour 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?"

Since speaking to Spanish police about Jay's disappearance, Qassim has returned from the trip to his family's flat in Barking, East London. He insists he "hasn't done anything wrong" and says he "hasn't got a problem" with Jay or his friends.

Qassim has been confirmed as the ringleader of a London-based crime gang who imported heroin and crack cocaine to Cardiff.

When cops raided a property years ago, he was found with 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 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 come until 10 am, he is believed to have attempted the 11-hour walk back to his holiday accommodation.

Detective Mark confirmed the news, and said: "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 travelled 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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