A Carlisle man has been jailed for his role in a cocaine supply plot smashed by police who recovered drugs, cash, incriminating phone messages and a pressing machine.
The criminal conspiracy came to light after officers stopped cars on separate dates early in 2020.
Just before midnight on January 3 that year, they pulled over a Mercedes driven by 38-year-old Barry Walter Akiens, who was nervous, sweating heavily and had dilated pupils. His passenger was Matthew James Scott, 34.
Both were detained and subjected to strip searches, with a number of cocaine wraps found on Akiens, who was over the drug-drive limit.
A tenancy agreement was also found in the car, and prompted police to search an address at Jubilee Road in Carlisle which was linked to Scott.
Cocaine valued at several hundred pounds was recovered, along with cash, several items showing traces of white powder and a lockable safe contacting a handwritten debtors’ list bearing 14 names; plastic packaging; a substance mixing agent and digital weighing scales.
A pressing machine was also found.
Wraps of cocaine were then located inside a Vauxhall Corsa driven by Adam Ramdin, 28, after it was halted on London Road on February 3.
Four days later, Scott was the passenger in a car stopped and found to contain cash and a mobile phone which was “constantly ringing”, Carlisle Crown Court was told today.
Interrogation of mobile phones showed contact between Scott and Akiens, and also Scott and Ramdin, throughout a conspiracy which ran for 11 weeks around the turn of 2020.
In one of several messages sent by Scott to Ramdin, carried out driving duties, he stated: “Don’t let me down today. Got lads up.”
All three men initially denied conspiracy to supply the class A drug, but later changed their pleas to guilty.
Each put forward a document formally setting out the respective parts they played, and motivation was advanced by their respective lawyers.
Recorder Paul Hodgkinson jailed Scott, of Hallin Crescent, Carlisle, for three years.
Akiens, of Main Street, Whitehaven, and Ramdin, of Cant Crescent, Carlisle, each had two-year prison sentences suspended for two years.
Both must complete unpaid work and three-month night time curfews, while Ramdin also received a rehabilitation requirement.
