£3 Million Drug Haul Sends Man Down for Nine Years
A man has been locked up for nine years after police found nearly £3 million of cocaine and MDMA hidden in his car. Dean Garland, 46, from Sunnyside Road, Epping, was stopped by officers on Thursday, 24 October 2019, in Tower Hamlets. What they uncovered was enough to wreck communities with a massive supply of class A drugs.
Massive Drug Bust on London Streets
Garland was pulled over while driving a white Ford Transit. As police approached, he nervously tossed a set of keys under the passenger seat. Officers searched the van and uncovered four large blocks of suspected cocaine. Further digging revealed a secret compartment operated by a key fob, stuffed with 12kg of cocaine, 45,000 MDMA tablets, cannabis resin, and tens of thousands in cash.
Hidden Vans and Huge Cash Haul
The drugs and cash didn’t stop there. Officers later raided Garland’s home and found a second white Ford Transit outside. Inside, another hidden stash packed with 13 blocks of class A drugs and £5,000 in cash was uncovered. Garland kept silent during police interviews, refusing to answer questions.
Sentenced After Guilty Plea to Drug Charges
Already caught in November 2019 for possession with intent to supply, Garland faced the court yesterday (Thursday, 12 March) at Snaresbrook Crown Court. He admitted to holding 29kg of cocaine, valued at around £2.8 million, and 46,000 MDMA pills worth about £460,000.
Detective Inspector Glenn Butler from the Met’s Specialist Crime North Command said: “Thanks to the hard work of Met officers, a massive quantity of drugs headed for our streets were seized and destroyed. These drugs would have fuelled the violence and stabbings ravaging London and beyond.”
Garland was charged a day after his arrest with possession with intent to supply controlled drugs. His nine-year jail sentence sends a strong message to drug traffickers profiting off city streets.
