Solent News AgencyA drug dealer has been caught out by police after stamping his own name on the bags he used to distribute.
Stephen Best was caught by officers from a unit in Worthing, West Sussex, after stamping ‘Besti’ across the drugs.
Police seized ‘a substantial quantity’ of cannabis resin, cocaine and crystal MDMA on November 13 last year, however Best managed to flee the scene.
The 30-year-old later handed himself in to police on November 27, even bringing a bag to the police station with him ‘in case he was sent to prison.’
Solent News AgencyHowever, when officers searched the bag, they found he had tried to hide several bags of cannabis in an attempt to take it into prison.
Best, who hails from Sompting in West Sussex, admitted possession of cannabis and four counts of possession with intent to supply drugs.
He was handed a three and a half year prison sentence and police couldn’t help but mock his attempts to deal and smuggle the illegal substances.
Solent News AgencySharing a picture of the drug dealer, Sussex Police wrote:
This is Stephen. Stephen had a storage unit full of drugs. Stephen stamped his name onto his drugs.
Stephen was wanted and handed himself in to police. Stephen expected to be imprisoned and took a bag. Stephen packed drugs to take to prison.
Stephen didn’t think we’d search his bag. Don’t be like Stephen and deal drugs.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Noel Simmonds said the investigation had been unique for ‘several reasons’.
PixabayHe said:
The quantity of drugs was considerable and while it is not unusual for drug dealers to set up brands of drugs, I’ve never seen someone stamp their own name into them.
It’s quite rare as well for someone to arrange the date, time and location of their arrest and still turn up in possession of illegal drugs.
We hope this sends out a strong warning to those that would deal misery on our streets.
There’s a lesson to be learned for anyone who is trying to evade the law – don’t write your name on your illegal goods.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.