Merseyside Police has released an image of a stash of cocaine seized by officers that is believed to be worth £1m.
Officers stopped a black Volkswagen on Heysham Road in Netherton on Saturday, January 8.
The car was being driven by John Butler, 27, of Clements Way in Tower Hill, who was said to appear nervous and was visibly shaking when speaking to police.
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Police searched Butler’s car and found a bag for life containing 10kgs of cocaine.
Butler was arrested, charged and remanded in custody.
Though the ECHO understands the wholesale value of the drugs seized from Butler’s car would be around £400,000, police said that it was believed to be worth £1m.
The picture of the haul shows a bag full of the drugs, which are separated into a number of packages wrapped in brown plastic.
Possession of the drugs landed Butler a lengthy sentence - he was jailed for eight years at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (February 8) after admitting to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Furlong said: “We welcome the significant sentence handed down to Butler which shows that we simply will not tolerate those who put our communities at significant risk by supplying drugs and the misery they bring.
“Thanks to the work of our officers, a significant quantity of drugs can no longer cause fear and harm on the streets of Merseyside. Every time our officers disrupt the activity of criminals by arresting suspects and seizing illicit drugs and cash, it removes their ability to cause further harm and to use the misery of others to line their pockets.
“Remember that every time someone buys drugs from criminals they are fuelling an illicit business that directly impacts the safety of people in our communities. I would urge anyone aware of drug dealing in their area to let us know so that we can take the direct action we have taken today, and improve the quality of life for people right across Merseyside.”
Anyone with information on drug dealing in their community is asked to contact Merseyside Police on Twitter via @MerPolCC, call 101 or Crimestoppers UK anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.
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