Cocaine dealers spotted at Squires GC sent to jail
Hidden police watched drugs exchanges take place at Squires Garden Centre before swooping to smash a criminal network flooding London with cocaine.
Eight men have been jailed as part of the Met Police operation after Vincent Hayward, of Cranbrook Drive, was caught by surveillance officers completing a drugs exchange with Stephen Humphries at Squires.
The Met's central task force team then tailed Hayward to a lock-up site near his home, before he returned to the garden centre for a second exchange,
The unsuspecting 41-year-old was arrested on his driveway after heading home. Hayward had cocaine and £200,000 on him. A money-counting machine,1kg of pure cocaine and MDMA pills were also found in his lock-up.
The fast-paced operation saw other key members of the multi-million pound drug gang arrested and charged soon after. The eight men were jailed for a total of 59 years at Kingston Crown Court on Monday. Hayward was sentenced to nine years and four months for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Wagstaff of the Met's serious and organised crime unit said he was proud of the work of his team."The sentences are the result of some outstanding examples of detective ability and teamwork," he added.
Squires Managing Director Dennis Espley told GTN Xtra that the garden centre knew little about the police operation.
"Because of our location near the M4 and M25, our car park is a convenient meeting place for lots of people," said Dennis. "That's the only reason I can think why these people chose Squires to meet."
