Drug dealer jailed after police found £3,800,000 of cocaine during traffic stop
A drug dealer who was found with almost £4,000,000 of cocaine in his car after being pulled over by police has been jailed for 13 years.
Officers discovered the haul of Class-A drugs wrapped with 'King Pro' packaging during a traffic stop in Solihull, West Midlands.
Driver Conrad Byrd, 50, was arrested at the scene after being pulled over on Kenilworth Road on March 14.
Following searches of his vehicle, officers found over 25 kilos of cocaine, with a street value of approximately £3,800,000.
Further searches were carried out at his home address in Sidcup, Bexley, South East London, where further kilos of drugs were found along with cash.
Detectives found Byrd had conducted many trips between the West Midlands and London to transfer drugs for a gang.
He pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply Class A drugs over a three month period and was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court for 13.5 years.
In April, two members of a gang were ordered to pay back more than £300,000 each after smuggling Class A drugs inside a shipment of raspberry sorbet.
William Morritt, 69, and John Madden, 51, moved 39kg of cocaine and 18kg of heroin from Belgium to England in 2017.
Police discovered the haul amongst 26 pallets of frozen raspberry yoghurt sorbet at a frozen food warehouse in Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire.
It was later revealed the pair made over £4.7 million from the operation.
The seizure was the biggest of its kind in Nottinghamshire for many years, said police.
After an investigation, a number of suspects were charged in connection with the smuggling operation.
Five people went on to be convicted of offences, including Madden and Morritt. More Trending
In 2023, Madden, of Kirkby, Knowsley, Merseyside, was jailed for 21 years after admitting conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class A drug.
Morritt, from Ashbourne, Derbyshire, the gang's haulier, was jailed for 18 years after being found guilty of the same charge.
Earlier this month, on April 2, Morritt received a confiscation order demanding repayment of £367,301.91 at Leicester Crown Court.
The Proceeds of Crime hearing was told he had benefitted by £2,384,655.93 from his illegal actions.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Toddler dies in hot car after 'dad left him to get haircut and drink at bar for three hours'
MORE: Mum attacked police believing they were impostors who'd come to kill her
MORE: Teen who murdered 12-year-old schoolgirl Ava White named for first time
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
Drug dealer jailed after police found £3,800,000 of cocaine during traffic stop
A drug dealer who was found with almost £4,000,000 of cocaine in his car after being pulled over by police has been jailed for 13 years. Officers discovered the haul of Class-A drugs wrapped with 'King Pro' packaging during a traffic stop in Solihull, West Midlands. Driver Conrad Byrd, 50, was arrested at the scene after being pulled over on Kenilworth Road on March 14. Following searches of his vehicle, officers found over 25 kilos of cocaine, with a street value of approximately £3,800,000. Further searches were carried out at his home address in Sidcup, Bexley, South East London, where further kilos of drugs were found along with cash. Detectives found Byrd had conducted many trips between the West Midlands and London to transfer drugs for a gang. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply Class A drugs over a three month period and was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court for 13.5 years. In April, two members of a gang were ordered to pay back more than £300,000 each after smuggling Class A drugs inside a shipment of raspberry sorbet. William Morritt, 69, and John Madden, 51, moved 39kg of cocaine and 18kg of heroin from Belgium to England in 2017. Police discovered the haul amongst 26 pallets of frozen raspberry yoghurt sorbet at a frozen food warehouse in Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire. It was later revealed the pair made over £4.7 million from the operation. The seizure was the biggest of its kind in Nottinghamshire for many years, said police. After an investigation, a number of suspects were charged in connection with the smuggling operation. Five people went on to be convicted of offences, including Madden and Morritt. More Trending In 2023, Madden, of Kirkby, Knowsley, Merseyside, was jailed for 21 years after admitting conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class A drug. Morritt, from Ashbourne, Derbyshire, the gang's haulier, was jailed for 18 years after being found guilty of the same charge. Earlier this month, on April 2, Morritt received a confiscation order demanding repayment of £367,301.91 at Leicester Crown Court. The Proceeds of Crime hearing was told he had benefitted by £2,384,655.93 from his illegal actions. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Toddler dies in hot car after 'dad left him to get haircut and drink at bar for three hours' MORE: Mum attacked police believing they were impostors who'd come to kill her MORE: Teen who murdered 12-year-old schoolgirl Ava White named for first time
Metro
10 hours ago
- Metro
Prisoner painstakingly dug a tunnel but failed to escape after getting stuck
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is the moment an inmate was found wedged in a hole during a bungled escape attempt in Brazil. Prisoner Alan Leandro da Silva, 32, spent two days using a broomstick handle and a nail to dig the opening in his cell at Rio Branco Penitentiary. Thinking the hole was wide enough, he tried to slip through while the guards were distracted, only to find himself lodged firmly in the concrete. Wardens foiled the attempted prison break after seeing 'strange movement' in the cell on June 16. They called firefighters to help free da Silva, whose upper body had started to strain from dangling over the floor. Footage shows the convict leaning on a blue chair as rescuers drill through the concrete around his torso. Officers completed the painstaking extraction and freed da Silva unharmed. A fire department spokesman said: 'According to the inmate's own account, the hole was dug for two days using a nail and a broomstick. 'However, during the escape attempt, he was trapped inside the opening. In view of the situation, the Criminal Police called the Fire Department to carry out the rescue. 'After thorough work, the rescue team was able to successfully release the victim, who was safely handed over to the Criminal Police team that was already on standby at the scene.' The man was given first aid before being hauled back into his cell, but it's unclear how he got the tools to make his escape attempt possible. In 2018, a prisoner suffocated to death just metres from escaping after digging a 70-metre-long tunnel from his cell toilet to freedom. More Trending Judson Cunha Evangelista, 26, suffered from a lack of oxygen as he carved the tunnel, which had already passed under the perimeter wall of the maximum security jail in Boa Vista, northern Brazil. The escape route was discovered by police after the inmate, who was serving time for murder, managed to make it back to his cell after becoming ill inside the hole, but he died soon after. Shocked officers discovered a hole which began underneath the toilet in Evangelista's cell in Wing 7 of the Monte Cristo penitentiary, the largest prison in Brazil's northernmost state of Roraima. The dirt tunnel continued for 70 metres underneath the prison and had already passed under its heavily-fortified outer walls and electric fences, according to prison authorities. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Model who posted revenge porn photos of woman online spared jail MORE: Moment cab passenger dives out of car to avoid paying fare MORE: British journalist Charlotte Peet who vanished in Brazil four months ago has been found
Metro
16 hours ago
- Metro
Man in his 40s shot dead outside Costco in Croydon
A man in his 40s has died after being shot outside Costco in Croydon, south London. Emergency services called to reports of a shooting in Imperial Way at 5.04pm yesterday. The Met Police said the man was found with gunshot wounds and was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. Detectives from the Met's Major Incident team are leading the investigation and enquiries are ongoing. Detective Chief Inspector Dan Whitten, leading the investigation from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: 'This was a tragic incident and my thoughts are with the man's family at this difficult time. Our team of specially trained officers are supporting them as are our investigation progresses. More Trending 'Our enquiries are ongoing and we would urge any witnesses to come forward and share information with us.' Anyone who witnessed the incident, or has any information that could help the investigation, should contact the police on 101 quoting CAD 6530/19JUN. To remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit More to follow. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
