When police stopped a car on the A1, they found a driver from Wigan sat inside - along with a meat cleaver and £5m worth of cocaine.
Now, 51-year-old Jansen McDonald has been sentenced to more than a decade behind bars. He was part of a huge criminal enterprise across the country but was caught out 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.
In a statement, Northumbria Police said: "Searching the vehicle, officers found a meat cleaver and 50 kilograms of suspected cocaine inside – which has the potential street value of up to five million pounds. McDonald, of Marple Close, Standish, Wigan, was arrested and quickly found himself in handcuffs and was 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. Last Friday (September 2), he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Detective Chief Inspector Marc Michael hopes this sends a strong message to potential drug dealers and promises this type of robust action will continue. He 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.”
To report any concerns or suspicious activity, use the ‘Tell Us Something’ page on Northumbria Police’s website. Alternatively, you can report to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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