A man who was stopped whilst driving on the M6 in Cumbria with three kilograms of cocaine in his car has been jailed for eight years.
Rufus Onya, 47, of North Star Boulevard, Greenhithe, Kent, had denied a charge of possession of cocaine (a Class A drug) with intent to supply but was convicted following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court and sentenced on Friday (22 Aug).
The court heard how, on 22 August 2024, Onya had been driving a white Nissan Qashqai on the M6 when he was pulled over by Cumbria Police near Junction 40, Penrith.
Onya appeared nervous and gave conflicting stories for his travel plans between Glasgow and home.
A search of the vehicle was conducted and large amounts of white powder recovered from the boot of the vehicle, inside a cardboard box which was also containing an air conditioning unit.
Onya was then arrested.
His home address in Kent was then searched with thousands of pounds recovered from under his bed.
Following an examination of the white powder, it was ascertained that is was cocaine with a potential street value of £300,000.
In his police interview, Onya claimed he had been asked to deliver a package but did not know what was inside.
However, he was convicted following a trial.
Detective Constable James Bowness of Cumbria Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit said: “If the defendant thought he would be safe transporting three kilograms of cocaine through Cumbria, then he was mistaken.
“Cumbria Police will take action against those who seek to use our road system to transport Class A drugs from one area of the United Kingdom to another.
“This was a significant haul of drugs which would otherwise have ended up on the streets and we are pleased to be able to capture it, destroy it and bring an individual involved in the supply of Class A drugs to justice.”