Wigan drug dealer caught with cocaine worth £5m is jailed for 12 years

Jansen McDonald, 51, was stopped by officers from Northumbria Police, assisted by Nottinghamshire Police and South Yorkshire Police, while driving on the A1 near Doncaster on July 12.

Officers searched his car and found a meat cleaver and 50kg of suspected cocaine inside – which had the potential street value of up to £5m.

McDonald, of Marple Close, Standish, was arrested and was subsequently charged by police.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and has now been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court.

Det Ch Insp Marc Michael said: “Northumbria Police and our partners are committed to targeting and disrupting the illegal drugs trade at all levels in order to reduce drug-related deaths, drug-related offending and drug prevalence.

“This result has seen a substantial amount of drugs taken out of circulation and subsequently taken millions of pounds away from organised criminals.

“Under the banner of Operation Sentinel, our dedicated initiative to tackling serious and organised crime, we will continue to work with our communities and partners to stop offenders and disrupt their illicit activity.

“We always encourage members of the public to report any suspicious activity they believe could be linked to drug supply to us. You are our eyes and ears and our biggest supporters. Please continue to work with us to keep our area safe and thriving.”