Police stop Nottingham taxi passenger suspected of drug dealing with 4 mobile phones and £1,000 cash

Image credit: Nottinghamshire Police

A suspected drug dealer armed with four mobile phones and £1,000 in cash has been taken off the streets following a routine stop on a taxi by officers.

Nottingham’s dedicated knife crime team based at St Ann’s Police Station were on patrol on Wednesday 11 January, when they spotted some suspicious activity.

At around 8.20pm in Waverley Street, the team witnessed a potential drug deal taking place and the suspect getting into a taxi.

The taxi was stopped, and the passenger searched. He was found to be in possession of around 30 bags containing drugs.

Some bags are believed to contain cocaine, ketamine, and ecstasy. All drugs are being tested in the lab.

He was also in possession of a bundle of cash held together by an elastic band. Officers said there was around £1,000 in total.

Officers also recovered four mobile phones.

A man, aged 31, from West Bridgford, has been arrested for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and remains in police custody.

Chief Inspector Chris Pearson, responsible for City Neighbourhood Policing, said: “This was a brilliant result by officers carrying out a routine patrol around Radford and the Arboretum.

“We will not stand for people littering our streets with drugs and making lots of money from illegal activity in the process.

“Our knife crime team do not only look for those carrying knives on our streets but also those who peddle drugs as the link between the two is very much combined.

“We will now be carrying out a full investigation into this potential criminal enterprise and investigating the phones we have recovered.

“Our officers also work in both marked and unmarked cars so sometimes if the public don’t see us, it does not mean we aren’t there.”

Neighbourhood Inspector Ben Lawrence, who covers the Radford and Arboretum area, added: “I would just like to commend these officers for their quick-thinking response.

“They saw a potential drug deal taking place and acted fast to catch the person they thought was responsible.

“We have taken a considerable amount of drugs out of the hands of a potential drug dealer and it shows our commitment to stopping this activity on Nottingham’s streets.”