A man was stopped on the M1 with a meat cleaver and £5m of cocaine inside his car.
Jansen McDonald, 51, from Wigan, was part of a huge criminal enterprise which operated across the country. However, he was caught on July 12 this year when Northumbria Police officers, assisted by Nottinghamshire Police and South Yorkshire Police, carried out a tactical stop of his vehicle, on the A1 near Doncaster.
When officers searched his vehicle, they found a meat cleaver and 50 kilograms of suspected cocaine inside – which Northumbria Police said has a potential street value of up to £5m. McDonald was arrested and subsequently charged.
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On August 11, McDonald appeared at Newcastle Crown Court and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to 12 years behind bars at the same court last Friday (September 2).
Detective Chief Inspector Marc Michael from Northumbria Police said: “Northumbria Police and our partners are committed to targeting and disrupting the illegal drugs trade at all levels in order to reduce drug-related deaths, drug-related offending and drug prevalence.
“This result has seen a substantial amount of drugs taken out of circulation and subsequently taken millions of pounds away from organised criminals.
“Under the banner of Operation Sentinel, our dedicated initiative to tackling serious and organised crime, we will continue to work with our communities and partners to stop offenders and disrupt their illicit activity.
“We always encourage members of the public to report any suspicious activity they believe could be linked to drug supply to us. You are our eyes and ears and our biggest supporters. Please continue to work with us to keep our area safe and thriving.”
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