A bungling drug dealer found with 85 bags of cocaine in his underwear has been locked up.
Joseph Bell, of The Crescent, Bridgehill in Consett, was arrested in December, 2019, after an early morning stop and search on Cardoon Road in the town.
Police stopped Bell after they spotted his grey Skoda travelling at an unusually slow speed, and became suspicious when the then 19-year-old produced a large sum of loose cash and an overflowing wallet from his pockets.
Bell was searched but attempted to run away when bags of white powder were found concealed in the crotch of his trousers.
He was restrained and arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
A further search carried out in custody revealed a total of 85 small bags of cocaine and three small bags of cannabis, estimated to be worth over £4,000 in total, were hidden in his underwear.
Bell, now 21, was subsequently charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply.
Appearing at Durham Crown Court, he was sentenced to three years detention at a Young Offenders' Institute.
Temporary Sergeant Vikki Ord said: “We hope Mr Bell’s sentencing illustrates that we will not tolerate illegal drug activity in our communities, and we’re pleased to see a drug dealer, his drugs and the proceeds of his crime taken off the streets.
“As always, we’ll continue to act on intelligence provided to us, and I encourage anyone with information concerning the supply of drugs to get in touch with us.”
