Essex Man Nabbed with £1.6 Million Worth of Cocaine Hidden in Chairs
Andrew Duncan Fraser, 58, from Harlow, Essex, has been slapped with a nine-year jail sentence after being caught smuggling 20 kilos of high-purity cocaine worth around £1.6 million.
Drug Stash Hidden in Armchairs
The Organised Crime Partnership (OCP), a joint task force between the National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan Police, stopped Fraser on 17 October 2020. He was driving his van along the M25 towards dartford/" title="Dartford" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Dartford, supposedly on a trip to pick up chairs for upholstering.
Officers found two brown leather armchairs stacked in the back of the van. Drug-sniffing dogs quickly zeroed in on the chairs, leading to the discovery of two shopping bags packed with cocaine hidden inside.
Criminal Past and Coded Messages
Fraser, with several previous convictions for supplying cocaine and cannabis resin, initially denied knowing about the drugs. When challenged, he admitted he “might have half an idea” what was inside the packages.
His mobile phone contained encryption software commonly used by criminals to cover their illegal dealings.
OCP Warns of Drug-Related Harm
Lab tests confirmed the cocaine’s purity at 79-86%. Detective Inspector Richard Smith of the OCP said:
“Drugs, cash and violence are intrinsically linked. Andrew Fraser was handling a huge volume of cocaine, which when sold would have had terrible knock-on effects on London’s communities.
The OCP works to stop the movement of illegal drugs by criminals who profit from their trade and in doing so, put the public at risk of serious harm.”
Fraser appeared at Croydon Crown Court on 31 March to receive his sentence for possession with intent to supply cocaine.
