Drug Dealer Busted with £60k Cash and Cocaine in Margate Van Stop
Rennie Ash’s criminal run came to a crashing halt after police pulled him over in Margate for driving without a valid MOT. What they found inside his van blew the case wide open.
Van Stop Uncovers £20,000 Worth of Cocaine and More
On March 15, 2019, officers from the Thanet Community Policing Team spotted Ash’s Ford Transit van on Millmead Road. A quick check revealed no valid MOT, so they stopped him.
During the search, cops discovered a large block of cocaine valued at around £20,000, along with two bags of cannabis, a knuckleduster, and cash. The tension ramped up when a further search of Ash’s home in Broadstairs turned up a staggering £40,000 in cash.
Arrest and Conviction: Drug Dealing Continued Under Investigation
Ash was initially released but rearrested weeks later on May 8, 2019. Phone records showed he hadn’t stopped dealing drugs, defying the ongoing police probe. Charged on May 10, Ash eventually admitted to two counts of class A drug dealing, possession of an offensive weapon, and criminal property.
Six Years and Nine Months Behind Bars for Thanet Dealer
The 49-year-old from Westover Gardens, Broadstairs, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on April 8, 2021, receiving a six year and nine months jail term. Detective Chief Inspector Keith Taylor commented:
“We believe Ash was part of a criminal network profiting from selling drugs to vulnerable people in Thanet. The knuckleduster shows the violence often linked with drug dealing. Despite being under investigation, Ash kept peddling drugs — proving he’s a committed criminal.
I’m pleased police have taken significant cash and drugs off the streets and removed this drug dealer from Thanet.”
