A Clacton second-hand furniture business was no front—it was a hub for a major drug supply operation. Darren Simmons, 58, led the illegal trade, using his Old Road shop, Simmons and Sons, to stash and distribute Class A, B, and C drugs. His 30-year-old son, Charlie Simmons, played a key part in the cocaine supply ring.
Police Smash Drug Network After Lengthy Investigation
Tendring Neighbourhood Policing Team cracked down after years of surveillance and raids spanning 2023 and 2024. Multiple searches at the shop and linked addresses uncovered drugs worth up to £117,000, including 132 grams of cocaine, 21 grams of amphetamines, and over 12 kilograms of cannabis. Counterfeit tobacco and prescription meds like diazepam and sildenafil were also seized.
Communications between the suspects admitted the furniture business was “kept afloat by the drug money.” Both Simmons men were arrested and charged in June 2025.
Cocaine & Cannabis Tied Up in Wardrobe Stash
Further probes led police to Darren’s home in Jaywick, where they found over a kilogram each of cocaine and cannabis—worth £31,155—hidden in his wardrobe. The elder Simmons was arrested again at a relative’s home and remanded in custody.
Police confirmed he supplied tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs, including at least 1.75kg of cocaine and 10kg of cannabis.
Courts Call Out ‘Blight on Essex’ – Prison for Simmons Duo
At Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge Sawyer slammed the cocaine trade as “a blight on Essex,” adding, “Addiction to these drugs causes immeasurable harm and drives offending.”
“Darren Simmons was the driving force,” the judge said. Charlie was “an important cog in the wider machine,” though on a lesser scale and has “turned a corner” since.
Darren Simmons was jailed for six years and eight months. Charlie received a two-year suspended sentence, with 200 hours of unpaid work and six months of GPS monitoring.
The authorities continue to pursue criminal profit recovery under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
