Praise for officer as her suspicion leads to one of biggest single cocaine seizures in force area

An officer has been praised after a vehicle stop led to one of the biggest single cocaine seizures in the force area.

More than 100kg of cocaine, which has an estimated street value of more than £8million, was found by the officer from the force’s roads policing unit, when she stopped the van in the Blaby area in June last year.

Yesterday (Wednesday), as the driver 41-year-old Jamie Gough was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, Chief Constable Rob Nixon praised the police work which has led to the conviction.

Chief Constable Nixon said: “This was a vehicle stop which was made purely based on an officer’s intuition and suspicion about the manner in which a vehicle was being driven. It ultimately led to millions of pounds worth of cocaine being seized and removed from our streets.

“This is fantastic police work and I am very proud of everyone’s involvement from the officer who made the initial stop to the response team and then the following intensive investigative work within the SOC (Serious Organised Crime) Pursue team.

“This is an example of Team Leicestershire doing what it does best.”

The officer made the vehicle stop at around 9.40pm on Wednesday 29 June last year. Gough eventually pulled over but his behaviour raised the officer’s suspicions further which led to the vehicle being searched. The officer and her colleagues then found the huge quantity of drugs, in various bags, in the rear of the van. The haul was examined and confirmed as cocaine.

Gough, of Hurlingham Road, Birmingham, was arrested at the scene and later charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Following a seven-day trial at Leicester Crown Court, he was found guilty of the offence on Tuesday 14 March.

Jamie Gough

Detective Inspector Emma Matts from the force’s complex investigation team oversaw the investigation.  She said: “This is a significant result for us.  The officer’s intuition that something wasn’t right about that van then led to one of the biggest single drugs hauls in the force area.

“DC Damian Young was the investigating officer within the force’s SOC Pursue team and it was his work that then led to Gough being charged with the offence and brought to court.

“More than 100 blocks of cocaine were found in the van, weighing a kilo each – the drugs had a wholesale value of £4 million pounds and on the street that value would have at least doubled.

“The supply and distribution of drugs is a serious offence in a ‘chain of misery’.  These crimes are a blight on society and ruin families and relationships.

“More than 100kgs of drugs were stopped from hitting our streets.  We hope this result deters others from taking this path and reassures the local community that we do take drugs misuse extremely seriously and will leave no stone unturned to bring people to justice.”