A COVENTRY crack cocaine and heroin dealer who attempted to hide some of the drugs by swallowing them has been jailed for over three years.
Craig Cresswell was sentenced to three years and four months for the offence after his attempt to swallow the bag was foiled by police.
On February 19, 2021, the 34-year old and Justin Somers from Nuneaton were spotted by officers parked up in the middle of the road on Norman Avenue in a grey VW Golf taking part in an exchange with a known drug user.
Two officers ran towards the car while a third drove around to block Cresswell and Somers’ escape.
Cresswell, in the driver’s seat, and Somers were then both arrested and a search uncovered over £1,000 cash.
Cannabis was also found in the car door as well as two burner phones on the driver’s seat.
Several messages between the dealers and their customers were found on the phone records.
Cresswell attempted to swallow a bag but an officer managed to grab the package, which contained 91 wraps of crack cocaine.
He began vomiting and was taken to George Eliot Hospital for an X-ray after claiming to have been made ill from swallowing another drugs package passed to him by Somers.
When taken for the X-ray, a second bag was discovered by hospital staff in his bed, which contained 42 wraps of crack cocaine and 44 wraps of heroin.
The seized drugs had a £2,245 estimated street value.
Somers was sentenced to six months in prison on January 10 for two counts of possession with intent to sell class A drugs and possession of cannabis.
This will be served concurrently with a 45-month sentence he is already serving for dealing crack and heroin.
Det Con Dan Stanton said: “The problem with swallowing crack and heroin is that, should all those wraps rupture in your stomach, what began as a prison sentence from the courts can quickly turn into a self-imposed death sentence.
“Better just to let us know you’ve got them – no matter how well hidden the drugs are, we’ll find them eventually.”
