Four charged after one of the largest Class A drugs seizures in Cheshire’s history

Four people have been charged by police following a multi-million pound drugs seizure in Cheshire.

The £20 million haul of cocaine has been described as “one of the largest in Cheshire’s history.”

At around 8.30pm on Thursday 2 August Cheshire Police officers stopped two vehicles between Junction 19 and 20 on the M6 northbound in Cheshire.

The vehicles – a van and a car – were searched and officers discovered a large quantity of Class A drugs

The three men – aged 30, 36 and 40 – and the 35-year-old woman from the Warrington area were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Dean Brettle, aged 36, Andrew Daniels, aged 40,  Jamie Simpson, aged 30 and Clare Smith, aged 35 have all been charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

All four have been remanded into custody and are due to appear at Crewe Magistrates’ Court today, Saturday 4 August.

Detective Chief Superintendent Aaron Duggan, Head of Crime at Cheshire Police, said:

“This significant seizure of class A drugs is one of the largest in Cheshire’s history.

“It is the early stages of our investigation and I am confident that this colossal seizure will go some way toward disrupting the illegal, organised crime groups preying on the most vulnerable people in our communities in Cheshire and the wider North West region.

“The corrosive effect of illegal drugs on communities cannot be understated. Behind every single drug deal there is vulnerability and misery and we are committed to tackling the problem and targeting those involved.

“I am sure the public will see this seizure as a really positive step in our fight against the illegal drug trade in Cheshire and further afield.

“We are aware that removing such a large quantity of drugs from the streets may have an impact on GP surgeries, hospitals and health support agencies and we are liaising with them and other partner agencies to minimise this potential impact.”

David Keane, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said:

“This is a fantastic result for officers in Cheshire in preventing such a large quantity of drugs which damage so many lives from reaching the streets. It also demonstrates the dedication of officers in tackling this significant issue for society.”