Five years' jail for Swindon man after £50,000 drugs seizure

By Barrie Hudson - 16 January 2025

Crime

A man has been sentenced to 61 months in prison after being arrested with a large quantity of drugs.

Jake Bell, 34, of Eglantyne Avenue, Tadpole Garden Village, appeared at Swindon Crown Court and pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Just before 1pm on 24 September last year, Bell was seen by officers on patrol acting suspiciously in an alleyway off Dryden Street. Bell was searched and £300 in cash was found in his possession.

A large bag was recovered from a nearby garden containing 42 bags of heroin and crack cocaine. CCTV from the property showed Bell throwing it into the garden along with a mobile phone. It is estimated that the drugs had a street value of up to £52,000.

PC Whettam of Wiltshire Police said: "This was a fantastic stop of an individual who has clearly become so comfortable in his drug supply that he carries such a large amount of class A drugs around our streets of Swindon.

"This was a great team effort and I am pleased that the courts have given a substantive sentence.  We have been able to not only stop the drugs hitting the street but also removed this individual off our streets for a some time.

“We continue to ask the community to raise the alarm when they see things that aren’t right. Your information is what guides our activity and reaps these great results.”

Anyone with concerns about drug dealing can make a report online.

Alternatively, they can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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