Taxi driver jailed after being caught with over £500,000 worth of drugs on A11
A taxi driver has been sentenced to jail after being caught with more than £500,000 worth of drugs in his car on the A11.
59-year-old Anthony Clinton was stopped by police near Wymondham last year, where 21kg of ketamine was discovered.
Additionally, a search of Clinton's local residence resulted in cocaine being found with a potential street value of £420,000. Further class B drugs were found in Clinton's home and were worth a potential street value of between £34,000 and £68,000.
The total potential valuation of the found ketamine in both Clinton's car and home was estimated to lie between £640,000 and £960,000.
Clinton was charged with two counts of possession of ketamine with intent to supply, two counts of possession with intent to supply cannabis, possession with intent to supply MMC (a class B drug), two counts of possession of cocaine as well as possession of ecstasy.
Clinton appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentence on Friday 5 May having admitted a series of drugs offences.
Matthew McNiff, who was responsible for mitigating in the proceedings, said that Clinton had no previous history of crime and had only become involved in drugs through others. McNiff argued that there was not much benefit that Clinton could directly gain from his supplier engagement.
However, Judge Katharine Moore disputed this, stating that Clinton had used his taxi driving as a "veneer of respectability" to provide him with safe routes for supplying drugs.
Following an admission by Clinton of a series of drugs charges, including two charges of possession with intent to supply ketamine, two charges of possession with intent to supply cannabis, and possession with intent to supply MMC, the judge sentenced Clinton to jail for five and a half years.
