Bexleyheath man jailed: £250k of drugs and cash stashed at family home (From News Shopper)

Bexleyheath warehouseman jailed after £250k of drugs found and cash hidden at family home

4:49pm Friday 12th October 2012 in News By George Sargent

A BEXLEYHEATH warehouseman, who secretly stashed bundles of cash in his family home and hid £250,000 of drugs, has been jailed for more than six years.

Luke Douglas, aged 24, had both his properties raided simultaneously by police on February 8.

At his house in Sydney Road, Abbey Wood, they discovered a massive haul of drugs with a street of value of around £250,000.

This included cocaine, 1.5 kilos of skunk cannabis, 180 rocks of crack cocaine and pure heroin.

Another police team raided his family home in Edendale Road, Bexleyheath. There they found bundles of cash hidden around the house by Douglas, unbeknown to his family.

The money totalled £32,140 of which £1,040 was counterfeit.

Douglas told police he made the money from selling puppies and bikes.

He also said he did not have a bank account and earned around £1,200 each month from his warehouse job.

On Thursday (October 11) Douglas was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court to six years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of possession of drugs with intent to supply.

All his drugs and £31,172.65 of his cash were also confiscated.

Judge Stephen Dawson said Douglas had played a significant role in what appeared to be drug dealing for financial gain.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector, Steve Underwood, said: “This case highlights our intention to seek out anyone actively involved in the drugs trade, whether it is street level drug dealing or trafficking carried out by organised criminal gangs.

“We will robustly enforce the powers available to us.

“The seizure of this substantial quantity of drugs not only represents a substantial loss of revenue to those involved in the crime, but also prevents its distribution on the streets of Bexley and further afield.

“Our Payback Unit was involved from a very early stage. These experienced detectives seek to ensure that criminals and those involved in crime are not allowed to enjoy their illicit proceeds and they will robustly enforce legislation to take it from them.”

Bexley police have asked anyone with information on drug dealing in their area to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.