Three men from Gravesend, Greenhithe and Longfield jailed after police find drugs in secret compartment
17:31, 03 June 2019
updated: 18:06, 03 June 2019
Two men who were found with £480,000 worth of class A drugs have been jailed for more than 14 years.
The duo appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court earlier today for sentencing, having plead guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs, namely cocaine on Friday February 8.
Daniel Sulman, 35, of Ferndale Road, Gravesend, was given eight years and six months imprisonment.
Alex May, 31, of Sandpiper Close, Greenhithe, was sentenced to six years in prison.
A third man, Sean King, 33, of Amphora Court, Longfield, did not appear at court and will be sentenced in due course. He previously pleaded guilty to the same charges.
During the hearing the court heard how between June and November last year the three men were involved in drug dealing in London and Kent.
The Metropolitan Police's Organised Crime Command carried out an investigation into the men, spanning several months, which included surveillance.
Subsequently, they seized a total of 6kg of cocaine, with a street value of approximately £480,000 and cash totalling more than £347,000.
In June 2018 officers began surveillance on the three men, which showed King supplying a package on November 14 to man in Farnborough, Hampshire.
Further footage showed King and Sulman meeting later that day in Bexley, before King travelled to Libzan Street, in Greenwich, where he was stopped and searched by police.
After searching his vehicle officers found 4kg of cocaine, with a street value of around £320,000 stashed in a hidden compartment. He was arrested and later charged on November 16.
A week later surveillance identified May carrying two large bags into an address in Heathlee Road, Bexley, where he was joined by Sulman shortly after, who was carrying a rucksack.
Officers from Met Police entered the property and searched it.
The bag which Sulman had carried into the address was found in an office next to a money counting machine and contained £9,490.
A further £79,188 and €301,400 was found in May's bag, which was hidden in a secret compartment in the master bedroom.
After a search of May's vehicle, another hidden compartment was found, this time containing more than €45,000.
When searching the pairs houses a bowl of high purity cocaine and £1,320 were recovered from May's address, while more than €2,000 was recovered from Sulman's.
The pair were both arrested and charged on November 23.
Acting Detective Inspector Johnny Baker, of the Met’s Organised Crime Command, said: “Drug-related crime has a hugely negative impact on local communities, and we are absolutely committed to identifying those involved and bringing them to justice.
“A huge amount of drugs and cash were recovered during this investigation, and I’d like to thank the team for working tirelessly to secure the convictions of these three men.”
