A man from Southport has today (17 April) been jailed for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs after officers found 15kg of Cocaine in his vehicle with a value of £1.5 million.
Paul May, 38, of Mill Lane, Southport was sentenced to 5 years 6 months in prison at Carlisle Crown Court.
The court heard that May was stopped by officers on 6 February 2024 on the M6 after they became aware of a vehicle, a Peugeot van with a faulty light.
Officers decided to search the vehicle under section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, during the search they noted a screwdriver within the vehicle and used it to undo the flooring of the van. Located underneath the flooring were 15 blocks of individual wrapped white powder believed to be a controlled substance.
A drugs expert conducted an evidential test on a sample of powder from the blocks which gave a positive indication for Cocaine.
Detective Constable Charlotte Jones from the Community Serious and Organised Crime (CSOC) team said “May was found with a significant amount of Cocaine with a street value of £1.5 million within his vehicle.
“Thanks to the proactivity of officers stopping May’s vehicle for a faulty light and carrying out further searches we stopped the distribution of Cocaine into vulnerable communities and his financial gain.
“Our message to offenders is, we will be proactive in our efforts to target drug supply within our communities and bring those to justice those who seek to come to the county, commit crime and prey on vulnerable addicts.
“We would encourage the public to report any suspicions they have regarding the supply of drugs.”
Anyone with knowledge or evidence of drug dealing in their community is urged to contact police today. You can report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit.
You can call 101. Or you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.