Locksmith’s Van Hidden Stash Nets £1.5 Million Cocaine Bust
Alex Guest, 40, of Boleyn Way, Ilford, has been slammed with an 11-year jail sentence for trying to flood UK streets with £1.5 million worth of cocaine. The locksmith-turned-drug-smuggler was caught red-handed in a secret van hideaway packed with class A drugs.
Secret Compartment Found in Van on M11
On 20 April 2020, Met’s Specialist Crime Command, backed by ANPR Interceptor Units, pounced on a van heading south on the M11 near Redbridge. An intelligence-led stop found officers scratching their heads over an elaborate hide inside the vehicle. The stash was tucked inside a partition wall and cleverly operated by hydraulic arms — hidden behind locksmith tools.
Huge Haul of Cocaine and Cash Seized
Inside, the police uncovered over 15 kilos of cocaine hidden in a holdall, worth an eye-watering £1.5 million. They also seized multiple mobile phones, electronic scales, and a high-tech encrypted chat device, EncroChat – notorious for criminal use.
Guest, the van driver, was arrested on the spot. Searches of his Ilford home revealed more than £129,000 in cash. To add to his woes, officers found two hydraulic press machines at another linked address, leading to further charges for possessing criminal property.
Locksmith’s Double Life Exposed
“Guest was part of an organised network importing large amounts of cocaine into the UK, almost routinely,” said Detective Constable Russell McIntyre. “Using his legitimate locksmith business as cover, he thought he could conceal his involvement by using an elaborate hide – he failed.”
“This investigation is an example of great teamwork which led to us taking a huge quantity of harmful Class A drugs off the streets. Drugs blight communities and ruin lives. We will continue to robustly target those responsible for bringing them into the capital.”
Guest pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply and possession of criminal property at Snaresbrook Crown Court back in June 2020. His 11 years and three months behind bars is a clear warning to those trying to outsmart the law with fancy hideouts and encrypted phones.
