Drug couriers caught with cocaine worth thousands

Two drug couriers caught moving tens of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine have been jailed.

Thomas Oliver, 37, had a fake handgun and 1kg of cocaine worth up to £32,000 in his van when he was stopped travelling from West Yorkshire to his native north-east England, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Weeks later his associate Kevin McMahon, 59, was caught organising the transport of 3kg of the Class A drug worth £75,000, the court heard.

McMahon was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. Oliver admitted carrying an imitation firearm and possessing drugs with intent to supply for which he was jailed for four years and three months.

Oliver, of Broomy Hill Road in Newcastle, was stopped by police near Boston Spa at about 20:00 BST on 10 August 2023, Judge Edward Bindloss said.

Officers found 1.01kg of 87% cocaine with a street value of between £24,000 and £32,000 and an air pistol which had been adapted to look like a Glock handgun, the court heard.

Oliver had earlier been seen meeting a woman in Leeds and moving packages form her car into his van, the judge said.

Judge Bindloss said it was "quite clear" Oliver was taking cocaine from West Yorkshire up to the North East to sell.

He said he accepted Oliver was working to pay off a debt accrued through his own drug use.

McMahon, whose address was listed as HMP Hull, was found to have arranged another delivery of drugs and was part of a two-vehicle convoy stopped by police on 22 September 2023, the court heard.

Judge Bindloss said McMahon had sought to keep his hands clean by not being the one actually carrying the drugs, but nonetheless he could be shown to have been the one organising it.

Officers found he was "shadowing and monitoring" the transportation of 3kg of "high purity" cocaine worth £75,000, the judge said.

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.