A suspected drug dealer was found with £300,000 in the boot of his car when police pulled him over during the coronavirus lockdown.
Ricky Lewis told cops he had driven from West Sussex to Kent to cut his friends' hair and did not realise hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash were in the vehicle.
The 35-year-old was stopped after officers spotted him repeatedly stopping in Deal, Kent, while driving the hired Renault Clio on May 9, when Britain was still in full lockdown and the government was advising only essential travel.
When the car was searched, officers found £314,885 divided between two bags and Lewis, who was driving the vehicle, was arrested.
Officers suspected the bags of cash may have been involved in drug dealing, police said.
Lewis offered no explanation for how he came by the money.
When Lewis' home in Crawley was searched, officers found a Taser, Kent Police said.
He refused to answer any questions about the cash when he was interviewed and was charged with possession of criminal property and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Lewis admitted both charges at Canterbury Crown Court on June 8 and was jailed for two years and two months on Friday (July 24).
Detective Inspector Emma Lawry, Kent Police's senior investigating officer, said: "Lewis was found in a hire car with a huge amount of money, the origin of which he has repeatedly refused to explain.
"I would like to commend the alertness of our local officers on the night, which has resulted in a considerable amount of criminal property being removed from circulation.
"Kent Police will not tolerate offenders coming into our county from others area of the country and we will do everything we can to disrupt their operations and seize property."
