TWO Bromley men have been jailed after police operations stopped more than £280,000 of drugs hitting the streets.
Robert Walker, 54, was caught last June with a kilo of cocaine and two bags of cannabis when police swooped on his home in Overhill Way, Beckenham.
These drugs had a street value of around £83,000.
Police also found CS gas canisters, blank credit cards and a number of replica firearms.
Walker pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply, possessing cannabis, possessing a card printer and blank credit cards, and possessing two CS gas canisters.
He was given a four-year jail sentence at Croydon Crown Court on October 6.
Walker’s sons, Danny, aged 28, and 23-year-old Thomas, both of Overhill Way, Beckenham, were each given a two-year conditional discharge after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine.
On October 10, the same court sentenced 55-year-old Christopher Morey, of Baston Road, Hayes, to 18 months in prison after police uncovered a cannabis factory in his three-storey house on June 27 - just 24 hours after the raid on Walker’s home.
The sheer scale of operation meant the lights heating the £200,000 crop would have required huge amounts of electricity, forcing unemployed Morey to bypass the mains.
Morey pleaded guilty to producing cannabis plus the abstraction and theft of electricity.
Sergeant David Black, of the Hayes and Coney Hall Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Bypassing the electricity needed to run the factories is exceptionally dangerous, with a huge risk of fire and electrocution.
"Criminals think developing these cannabis factories is a low-risk enterprise, but cannabis production is a serious offence and offenders will be brought to justice.
"By shutting down this operation we have removed a huge quantity of drugs from our streets and we will continue to target those who supply drugs.”
Counting the cost of drugs
- 700 cannabis plants - £200,000
- Annual turnover of drug factory - £800,000
- Kilo of cut cocaine - £80,000
- A wrap of cocaine - £60
- A kilo of cannabis - £1,000
- Source: Bromley police
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