In the days that followed he came to believe Mr Yacoub had "snitched" on him. He devised a plan to kidnap Mr Yacoub and scare him into taking responsibility for the pills in an attempt to avoid being jailed for breaching his bail.
Slaimankhel and his associate Junior Iolima Paea were convicted of kidnapping and perverting the course of justice at Auckland's High Court on Friday. They were remanded in custody until July 23 when they will be sentenced. Justice Christian Whata indicated both men would likely face prison terms.
A third man, Jen Jay Law, was discharged after a jury could not reach a verdict on a sole charge of kidnapping.
It was the third time the case had gone before a jury.
A first trial in May 2014 resulted in a hung jury, while a second trial earlier this year was aborted when the jury heard evidence about Slaimankhel's involvement in Operation Adder that could have prejudiced his fair trial rights. The jury that convicted him on Friday was unaware of the full extent of Slaimankhel's offending. During the nine-day trial the jury heard only that Slaimankhel had been previously arrested for "steroid-related offending".
Due to court ordered suppressions it is only now the Herald can reveal that Slaimankhel spent seven months in custody following his arrest and was on home detention during the trial after being sentenced at the Auckland District Court on December 4 for possession and supply of a Class C controlled drug and offering to supply the Class B drug methadone.
Evidence taken from his mobile phone showed he sold 52,000 pills of what he claimed was ecstasy - but was in fact a Class C analogue called alphapyrrolidinovalerophenone - for $22 to partygoers on the Auckland nightclub scene between January and May 2012.
He bought the pills from Christchurch bodybuilder Phillip Musson and offered to supply Musson methadone in return for steroids.
Musson, who was described by a judge as the ring's mastermind, is serving a four-and-a-half year prison sentence. Despite the scale of his offending, Slaimankhel ultimately received a sentence of 10 months home detention for supplying class C drugs and eight months home detention for offering to supply a class B drug, to be served concurrently.
A sentencing starting point of 44 months in prison was reduced to 26.5 months for Slaimankhel's expression of remorse, his good character, his guilty plea, the time he served in custody and time he spent on electronically monitored bail.
Although the 26.5 month sentence was above the threshhold for home detention, sentencing judge Philippa Cunningham said in special cases a judge could still grant home detention. In her view the best rehabilitation course for Slaimankhel was to "be with his family".
Slaimankhel's brother Walid was also sentenced to home detention for his role in the drugs ring.
Crown prosecutor Mike Walker argued at sentencing that the "sheer scale" of the brothers' offending was an aggravating factor. The pair had committed the offences purely for financial gain; Walid to fund his methamphetamine habit and Khalid for the cash.
However Judge Cunningham said the offending was "out of character for both of you". She then added three weeks to Khalid Slaimankhel's home detention term for a summary charge of threatening laid when he threatened to have a man beaten up by Killer Bees gang members after he discovered the man was going out with an ex-girlfriend.
In a letter to the court Khalid Slaimankhel admitted: "I was a drug dealer plain and simple and there can never be an excuse for that sort of behaviour."
Now, after three trials, he is also a kidnapper.
Khalid Naser Slaimankhel
• Former body building champion convicted of kidnapping and perverting the course of justice at the Auckland High Court on Friday
• Was on bail at the time of the kidnapping after being arrested for party pill dealing and offering to supply the class B drug methadone
• Arrest was part of Operation Adder, a national police investigation that busted a party pill and steroid dealing ring operating in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch
• In custody awaiting sentencing on July 23.
