Man jailed after crack cocaine found buried in a garden In Sefton

A man has been jailed for three years, four months after a bag containing up to £44,000 worth of crack cocaine was found buried in a back garden.

A spokesperson from Merseyside Police said: "Officers attended a house on Akenside Street in Bootle on 8 September 2023 to execute a warrant. During the search, officers located a carrier bag buried in soil in the garden which contained a tub with nearly half a kilo of crack cocaine inside. After testing it was found to be 82% pure."

"Lee Harrison, 27 years, of Lonsdale Road, #Litherland was jailed yesterday (Tuesday 26 February) at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine)."

Sergeant Kris Allinson said: “Our officers found a substantial quantity of a dangerous illegal drug that was destined to cause harm on the streets of Merseyside and further afield.“I hope this result sends out a message to those involved in the dealing of Class A drugs that our officers will continue to target those who are prepared to risk the health of vulnerable people purely for personal gain."

"This warrant was executed by officers from Operation Pelican, which is Merseyside Police's initiative to infiltrate County Lines drug dealing and stop these criminals lining their pockets at the expense of others, as well as supporting victims of criminal exploitation."

“While the exploitation of young vulnerable people to commit crime is not a new phenomenon, law enforcement is gaining a greater understanding of the signs to spot to target and sentence any criminals who are involved."

Read more here about how to spot the signs of exploitation linked to drug dealing and the Eyes Open campaign, introduced by Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/police-forces/merseyside-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/2018/eyes-open/.You can also report any concerns to police via 101, via Twitter @MerPolCC or Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.