Drugs Bust Hauls £13K Cash and Kilo of Cocaine
John Germaine, 33, from Burscough, Lancashire, was snapped up by cops on September 27 last year in Ashton-in-Makerfield, near Wigan. Officers from the Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership (OCP) found a white Ford Kuga loaded with £13,000 in cash and a hefty one-kilo bar of 83% pure cocaine on the back seat.
More Cash and Drugs Found in Glove Box and Storage Unit
That wasn’t all. The glove compartment held another £4,880 and 124 grams of cocaine with 74% purity. Then the OCP swooped on a storage unit Germaine rented in Burscough. Inside, they uncovered nine more kilos of cocaine plus 6.4 kilos of cannabis. Germaine was using the unit to prep drugs for distribution.
Massive Bank Movements Reveal Scale of Crime
Between May 2019 and September 2021, Germaine’s bank account showed deposits and withdrawals totalling about £133,000. Yet, during that time, he paid only £730 in tax from his courier job. Clearly, a cover for major drug dealings.
John Germaine and Accomplice Daniel Weaver Jailed
Germaine admitted possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, plus possession of criminal property, at Liverpool Crown Court. His passenger on the day was Daniel Weaver, 35, from Liverpool’s Anfield. Fingerprints on cocaine packaging linked Weaver to the drugs. A jury convicted him of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and criminal property offences. Weaver was handed a seven-year sentence.
Specialist Police Unit Takes Down Major Drug Operation
The OCP, a joint task force of the National Crime Agency and Merseyside Police, is dedicated to fighting drugs and firearms crime across Merseyside. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Speight said:
“Germaine was clearly an important link between street deals and larger consignments of drugs moving around the North West. He played a leading role in this conspiracy as he’d rented and operated a secure location where he could prepare his deals.”
