Cornwall man handed five year sentence for having Class A drugs worth thousands and money laundering
A man has been sentenced to five years after being charged with possession of Class A drugs worth thousands at a property in Cornwall.
Daniel Lawrence, of St Dominic Street, was sentenced at Truro Crown Court on 5 January after being charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and money laundering.
He denied both the charges and was remanded in custody but was found guilty by the judge for his offences.
The 41-year-old was arrested on 14 September 2022, as part of a drugs operation run by Devon and Cornwall Police.
Officers from the force carried out a search warrant at a property after receiving information about drug supply in the area.
They entered the property and found Lawrence in the bathroom – officers believed he had flushed drugs down the toilet.
The force found a plastic bag containing around 37g of heroin in a garden drain with a street value of more than £3,700.
Lawrence was found to have a significant amount of money in his pockets and more than £2,000 was discovered in his bedroom.
Investigating officer, DC Rhys Salisbury, said: "This investigation stemmed from a three-day proactive operation across Cornwall during September 2022.
"The intention of this operation was to tackle drug dealing in our towns.
"The result of this specific investigation is down to a collaborative effort of officers from the local Neighbourhood Team, Force Support Group, British Transport Police, Financial investigation team, Proactive Disruption Team and Criminal Investigation Department.
"Having secured and finalised a conviction such as this, in this amount of time is a really positive result.
"The drug trade often uses and exploits vulnerable individuals for illicit gain, this can result in significant harm to the community.
"We are sending a clear message that we are committed to supporting the communities and will pursue those who attempt to exploit this trade within Devon & Cornwall."
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