Drug Dealer’s Jail Term Slammed Up to 15 Years for £470k Cocaine Haul
A Solihull drug baron has just had his prison sentence bumped up after fleeing the UK to dodge the law. Joshua Poulton, 28, originally got 12 and a half years for peddling nearly half a million pounds’ worth of cocaine. Now, thanks to a court appeal, he’ll serve 15 years and three months behind bars.
From Family Business to Major Drug Boss
Poulton took charge of a lucrative cocaine operation after a relative’s jail stint. Over a frantic seven weeks in late 2021, he used two couriers to move at least 35kg of class A drugs worth £470,000. The drugs linked back to several organised crime groups, proving he wasn’t some small-time player.
Fugitive Manhunt Across Four Continents
When Poulton caught wind of the cops closing in, he fled – hopping between the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Portugal, and the US. Eventually, Spanish police caught him, and he was extradited back to the UK in December 2022 to face justice.
Government Clamps Down on Drug Crime
“The offender was selling vast quantities of class A drugs,” said Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP. “I did not believe his sentence reflected the severity of his crimes. Thankfully, the court agreed. In increasing his sentence, I hope this sends a warning to drug dealers that we will use all our powers to put a stop to your criminal enterprises.”
The tougher sentence shows the UK’s zero-tolerance approach to drug crime isn’t loosening – and dealers who think they can run will be hunted down and locked up for good.
