Man Jailed After Significant Drug Seizure On M1

23 July 2014, 13:55 | Updated: 23 July 2014, 14:00

A man has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison after being found with large quantities of drugs in Hertfordshire.

Ian Hall, who is 35 years old and from Navenby Road in Wigan, was arrested on the morning of July 3rd, 2014.

He had been driving a blue Ford Escort northbound on the M1 between junctions 8 and 9 when officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit indicated for the vehicle to pull over as part of a routine stop.

A search of the car found a number of house brick sized packages wrapped in brown tape. These contained 10 kilos of what is believed to be heroin and two of what are believed to be cocaine. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, July 18th and was sentenced on the same day.

The subsequent investigation after Ian Hall’s arrest was led by officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit.  A search of his home address in Wigan in conjunction with Greater Manchester Police revealed further evidence of Class A drug production.  This included a metal press, packaging and cutting agents in the form of barrels of Aminobenzoate. On passing sentence Judge Plumstead commented on the quality of the work that went into a “swift deliverance of justice.”

Detective Inspector Ian Butler from the Serious and Organised Crime Group, based at Hertfordshire Constabulary Headquarters in Welwyn Garden City said: “This man was only arrested a few weeks ago and is already in prison for the serious crime he committed. I hope this serves as a warning to anyone else that chooses to use the roads of Hertfordshire to commit offences such as these that this will not be tolerated and that if you are involved in trafficking drugs, either as couriers or in more substantive roles, you should expect severe custodial sentences. If you are under pressure to carry out this type of criminality or have information which could assist the police, please contact officers – or call Crimestoppers anonymously. You calls do add up and allow us to target offenders and bring them to justice.”