Jay Slater’s ‘pal’ Ayub Qassim who was with him before he vanished says he has ‘nothing to hide’ from ‘weirdo’ sleuths
ONE OF Jay Slater’s new pals that he made the night before he vanished has hit out at online sleuths, calling them “weirdos”.
Convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim, 31, has insisted he has “nothing to hide” and slammed Facebook detectives for screenshotting his Instagram.
The Sun revealed his identity on Thursday, filling in a huge blank on one of the two mystery men Jay spent the evening with before he disappeared on June 17.
Qassim was put behind bars for nine years in 2015 as the ringleader of a London-based gang dealing heroin and crack cocaine in Cardiff.
He is also closely connected to a legal cannabis cafe in Tenerife owned by his childhood friend, acclaimed drill rapper Potter Payper.
Facebook sleuths have been touting wild conspiracy theories online in the two weeks since Jay disappeared – and tracked down Qassim.
After sharing screenshots of his Instagram profile and debating about his involvement on the social media site, Qassim himself hit back.
He raged: “Why you screenshotting my insta you absolute bunch of weirdos”.
The 31-year-old also hit back at another jibe, saying: “I don’t mind being tracked down got nothing to hide”.
He then told one woman he has become famous for “all the wrong reasons”.
Do you know ‘Jonny Vegas’ the second Brit that Jay went to the Airbnb with? Email eleanor.doughty@thesun.co.uk or Whatsapp 07423 720 250
Qassim left a rave in Tenerife with Jay on the night of Sunday June 16, before driving to the north west of Tenerife with a second man referred to only as Jonny Vegas.
Very little is know about the second mystery man, who shares the nickname with a famous comedian from TV show Benidorm.
The two mystery Brits who partied with Jay on the night of his disappearance were initially labelled “not relevant” by investigators.
They are said to both be black, in their late 30s or early 40s and from Luton, Bedfordshire.
Despite speaking with cops briefly after Jay was reported missing, they were allowed to fly home to the UK soon after.
Lancashire Constabulary, whose offer of assistance was refused by local police in Tenerife, also said it would not quiz the men further.
Online sleuths have kicked up a storm on social media in the almost 20 days since Jay disappeared.
The missing teen’s family have endured an onslaught of cruel taunts and baseless conspiracy theories as a result.
A sickening video claiming to show Jay being beaten to death was even shared online – but was quickly debunked.
Some of the social media speculators have also touted a series of possible identities behind the man known as Jonny Vegas, all unconfirmed.
One of them, whose name The Sun has chosen not to publish, is accused of being the mystery man by online detectives.
During a bizarre Facebook livestream, he even engaged with social media users discussing the Jay Slater case.
At one point, he muses: “You think they are setting me up?”
In the specific clip, he also speculates on what happened to the 19-year-old – suggesting he may have fallen or been attacked.
On Friday the man also shared a strange post to his Instagram which read: “The man your looking for ain’t me. Time to take legal action.”
Police were yesterday urged to probe claims that Jay could’ve been involved in the theft of a £12,000 Rolex watch.
Former detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who is unofficially looking into the disappearance of the 19-year-old, said Jay had admitted it to pals.
But UK police have refused to investigate and cops in Tenerife — where Jay vanished last month — have declined to discuss it.
Spanish authorities have said “there is no current evidence of criminality” in the case, despite swirling speculation online.
Jay’s friend Lucy Law, the last person to speak to him and someone who is reportedly known to Ayub Qassim and Jonny Vegas, previously said there was something “weird and suspicious” about the case.
The Brit teen’s worried dad Warren, 58, has also questioned why his teenage son ended up at a remote Airbnb with “two grown men”.
He previously said: “My only question is, and this is where you start the investigation from, why did two grown men take a young boy to a valley to a bed and breakfast?
“I can’t understand that.
“Why? Why? You need to ask them why and then start from there.”
His comments came after a TV investigator helping the family revealed Jay left the £40-night Airbnb feeling “scared”.
Former detective Mark Williams-Thomas claimed the lad did not want to return to the holiday let despite needing water and having little phone battery.
Five questions still unanswered in Jay Slater's disappearance
By James Halpin
Missing Rolex after ‘scuffle’
Police launched a new probe on Saturday morning over the theft of a Rolex watch just hours before Jay disappeared.
It is unclear exactly how Jay’s disappearance might be linked but one of Jay’s pals told detectives the alleged theft may have led to Jay wandering off on his own to try and find the watch.
The Rolex disappeared when a fight broke out at the club Jay was partying at with investigators questioning taxi drivers and bar staff present on the strip.
It has now been said that Jay himself may have stolen the watch.
Police clear duo
Two mystery Brits who partied with Jay Slater on the night of his disappearance were labelled “not relevant” by investigators.
Investigator Mark Williams-Thomas said the men stayed with Jay at an Airbnb cottage in Tenerife before he vanished.
They are said to both be in their late 30s or early 40s and from Luton, Bedfordshire, with one going by the nickname “Johnny Vegas”.
The men were only briefly asked to speak with cops before being allowed to fly home to the UK.
Just six volunteers for ‘massive’ search
Yesterday, Tenerife cops launched what they called a “massive” new search with the help of specialist volunteers to find the 19-year-old Brit.
However, just six volunteers reportedly turned up, claimed Tiktoker Paul Arnott, 29, who flew in to help with the search.
Jay’s father Warren and older brother Zak were seen at the search site.
The area being searched is a 2000ft ravine that has a steep hiking trail traversing it down to the sea.
Mystery final phone calls
Jay’s last phone call to his pal Lucy Law has been shrouded in mystery with it springing up several questions.
The 18-year-old woman told reporters Jay had called her in a panic at around 8.30am on Monday June 17.
She recalled him saying he wasn’t able to catch a bus and was going to start walking back to his flat.
Jay told her his phone was almost out of power, that he had cut his leg on a prickly cactus and he badly needed a drink.
Pinging phone
Search teams narrowed their efforts to a small group of buildings close to where Jay’s phone last pinged, but found nothing last week.
Jay took a 45 minutes car journey with two men to an Airbnb near Masco in the Rural de Teno, a national park in the island’s north.
He posted a Snapchat picture at the £40-a-night digs at around 7.30am appearing to show him holding a cigarette and walking down some stone steps.
After deciding to leave the cottage, Jay rang Lucy before his mobile went dead at 8.50am near a hiking trail in the park.