A man has been jailed after being stopped on the M55 with 2kg of cocaine hidden in a secret compartment in his van.




Stephen Allen, 37, of Warrington Road, Prescot, was sentenced yesterday (Wednesday) at Preston Crown Court to six years and nine months in prison, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
Officers had initially come across Allen when they carried out a routine stop check of his VW Caddy as he travelled towards Blackpool on the M55, close to Kirkham, on February 17th this year.
The vehicle was examined and a two hour search turned nothing up. However, a police dog at the scene gave indications that there were drugs on board, so the vehicle was seized.
The van was later searched again, at which point officers found a purpose-built ‘void’ behind the passenger seat, which contained 2kg of high-purity cocaine. This was estimated as being worth around £70,000, although the ‘street value’ would be significantly higher.
Enquiries were carried out to locate Allen and he was arrested in July at Manchester Airport.
DS Chris Sanderson, of Blackpool Police, said: “When Allen was stopped he was in possession of a significant amount of cocaine which would undoubtedly have brought misery to the streets of Blackpool. It is thanks to the tenacity of the officers who initially stopped him that these drugs have been taken out of circulation.
“I am satisfied with the sentence handed to Allen and hope he will use his time behind bars to reflect on the consequences of his actions. I also hope it will send a message that the supply and distribution of drugs will not be tolerated in Lancashire, and we will continue to target, and deal with proportionately and robustly, those who put our communities at risk in this way.”