Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Police officers surrounded a stolen car at a service station to find £50,000 of cocaine. The case began back in May 2023, with officers on patrol spotting a vehicle with cloned number plates travelling along the A12.
Several units surrounded the vehicle when it stopped in a service station at Feering, detaining the driver, 50-year-old Lee Ansell. Two 1kg blocks of cocaine, with an estimated value of between £48,000 and £60,000, were recovered from the boot. The car itself was seized, having found to have been stolen from an address in Bedfordshire.
Read more: Next shoppers snap up £20 autumn cardigan in 6 colours hailed 'beautiful and soft'
Read more: Epping Bell Hotel: Labour accused of 'putting immigrant rights before locals' after Epping hotel Court of Appeal verdict
A Braintree CID and Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) investigation went on to establish Ansell, of Willow Way, Ampthill, Bedfordshire, was a courier, who had agreed to transport the drugs for criminal associates in exchange for payment. Officers found he had been directed by dealer Paul Jones, 41, of Beaumont Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire.
This resulted in both men being charged with conspiring to supply cocaine. Each admitted the charge and appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court for sentence on Friday August 22. Jones was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, while Ansell was jailed for three years and six months.
Essex Police will be taking action under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover any outstanding criminal profit. DI Frazer Low, of SOCU, said: "This was an example of good, proactive police work and a collaborative approach across several teams.
"What started with the recovery of a stolen vehicle and the seizure of drugs led to further work to put a dent in an operation supplying drugs in large quantities in Essex. It is clear that those engaged in this operation expected to make significant financial gain.
"Instead, they face lengthy spells in prison. Drug crime lies behind wider offending such as incidents of violence in our county and we're committed to tackling it."