Salford cocaine dealer jailed for nearly three years

Officers arrested him as part of an anti-gang crackdown

Author: Dan DaviesPublished 8th Jun 2022

A cocaine dealer from Salford has been jailed after anti-gang cops caught him in a car with ketamine, before they went on to uncover a raft of class A, B, and C drugs he intended to sell.

Luke Oliver, 28, from Weaste, became the latest to be rumbled by officers from the Operation Naseby disruption taskforce that has helped drive down shootings in the city by over 70% since its inception two years ago after 300 arrests, over 300 car seizures, nearly 130 house searches, and around 50kilos of drugs recovered.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Oliver was spotted by our patrols in Weaste in April in a vehicle linked to a cannabis dealer who the Op Naseby team had recently helped to jail.

Officers stopped the black Volkswagen Golf and spotted cash and observed that Oliver – the sole occupant of the car – appeared nervous and looked as though he had taken drugs.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle – under section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act – we found five snap bags of white powder that Oliver said was ketamine, as well as three mobile phones.

An apartment linked to Oliver in the Exchange area of the city uncovered nearly £2500 of cash and a plethora of drugs worth an estimated total of around £18,600; including 25 grams of cocaine, 287 grams of ketamine, and 123 grams of cannabis as well as MDMA, LSD, and diazepam.

Oliver, of Whiteside Close, was taken to custody later that day and answered ‘no comment’ to all questions posed to him.

He was charged and convicted of possession with intent to possession of class A, B, and C drugs with intent to supply, and yesterday (Tuesday 7 June) was sentenced to two years and 10 months imprisonment.

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