Maidstone drug dealer jailed after 5 kilos of cocaine worth £1 million is found during drugs raid
More than five kilos of cocaine were discovered following the execution of a search warrant at a Maidstone business by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate. When officers went to the premises on Lower Road, East Farleigh on 29 August 2019, they asked the only occupant, Andrew Mackie, if there were any drugs in the building. He directed them to a cupboard under some stairs where they found three sealed parcels and six grip-seal plastic bags containing 5.3 kilos of cocaine. These were seized along with a bag containing digital scales, gloves and empty plastic bags. The officers also seized £5,000 from a filing cabinet and £2,000 from Mackie’s vehicle. He was arrested and later charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine. The cocaine was analysed and found to have a purity of between 80 and 100 per cent. This has an estimated street value of approximately £1,000,000. Mackie of Lower Road, East Farleigh pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and on Thursday 9 January 2020 at the same court, the 53-year-old was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. Kent Police’s District Commander for Maidstone, Chief Inspector Ray Quiller said: ‘The quantity of cocaine discovered at this business would suggest an organised crime gang was involved in its distribution. ‘I have no doubt the drugs, which were of a high purity, would have been mixed with other substances to increase the quantity for sale on the streets. ‘Mackie and his criminal associates were making a considerable profit whilst bringing misery to the streets of Kent, and a lengthy prison sentence is entirely appropriate.’
