A man has been jailed after police found a 10kg-stash of cocaine worth £1m at his home in Newton Heath.
Police made the shocking discovery while making enquiries about a stolen motorbike at Iman Chalouskri's house on Mainhill Walk.
Officers said the 25-year-old started 'sweating profusely' when they came across a padlocked metal black box underneath the stairs.
Inside the box police found a suitcase containing 10kg of cocaine in block-packages branded with the Ecuador flag.
The drug dealer was jailed for seven years and six months at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday.
Chalouskri pleaded ignorance in a police interview, claiming that a friend asked him to store some items while he was away. He said he had no idea what was inside the box.
A police investigation confirmed that the packages contained high-grade cocaine, worth more than £1m in street value.
Videos of 'substantial amounts of cash' were found on Chalouskri's phone.
Prosecution Barrister Denise Fitzpatrick told Manchester Crown Court that Chalouskri played 'significant role' in the supply of the drugs by being a 'highly-trusted custodian'.
He was sentenced to seven years and six months in jail after pleading guilty conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Detective Constable Terry MacMillan, of GMP's North Manchester CID, said: "This is quite a staggering case where over a £1million's worth of class A drugs were found locked in a suitcase under Chalouskri's stairs, and it is vitally important that this substantial, high-grade stash has been seized from the hands of a criminal.
"It is difficult to comprehend just how much damage these drugs would’ve done to the many people who would’ve been involved in its subsequent dissemination and consumption had police not recovered it first.
"Despite Chalouskri initially attempting to plead innocence in this case, it is clear once the evidence was laid bare to him that he was unable to oppose the facts and he now has a lengthy time behind bars to reflect on his offending."
