A million pound drugs operation was rumbled after police found large amounts of cocaine 'stashed' in a van on top of a breakdown vehicle.
Police found three kilos of cocaine hidden inside a home made compartment hidden in the dashboard of a van being transported from Liverpool to Northampton.
Following the discovery, police raided the homes of Liam Rogers, 32, on Oleander Way, Norris Green and Matthew Murray, 40, on Moor Lane in December 2020.
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Inside Rogers' home they found a further 10 kilos of cocaine worth around £1 million.
Police also seized cash and designer goods, including designer clothing, handbags and footwear from both Rogers and Murray valued at £214,000.
A large quantity of cocaine was also found in two ‘stash‘ vehicles used by accomplice Alexander McConnell from Corby in November 2020.
Yesterday, all three men were sentenced at Northampton Crown Court after pleading guilty earlier this year to charges relating to the conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Lead Investigator Matthew Ridley from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) Serious and Organised Crime Team, said: “This was an exceptionally sophisticated operation with all three men doing everything they could to evade police detection, even going so far as to create a homemade compartment within a van which they then transported to Corby using a breakdown vehicle.
“This has been a complex investigation but I am really pleased that all of the hard work has paid off with guilty pleas from all three men.
“Tackling the scourge of Class A drugs is an absolute priority for us and we will continue to bring the people who think it is a legitimate way to make money, to justice.”
McConnell was handed ten years and eight months in prison and Rogers and Murray were both given nine years in prison each.
Rogers and Murray were both sentenced to nine years in prison, while accomplice McConnell was handed 10 years and eight months.
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