A man stopped by traffic officers for using his mobile phone was found to be in possession of drugs worth more than £2,500.
Ashley Jack Louis Bouchex, aged 27 and of Elmgate Drive in Bournemouth, was sentenced to a total of three years in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday 16 May 2018 after admitting possessing a class A drug with intent to supply, possessing a class B with intent to supply and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property.
At around 7.35pm on Thursday 22 December 2016 officers from Dorset Police’s No Excuse team were on patrol in Poole when they observed a driver in a Volkswagen Sirocco on Poole Road who appeared to be using his mobile phone.
Officers stopped the vehicle and spoke to the driver. As they were dealing with a fixed penalty notice for the mobile phone offence, they became aware of the smell of cannabis.
Bouchex was asked to carry out an initial road-side drugs test, which he failed and he was arrested on suspicion of drug driving.
A search of the vehicle was carried out, which uncovered a bag in the foot well of the passenger seat that contained four large sandwich bags of what was believed to be cannabis.
Following analysis, it was revealed that the bags contained 108.9 grams of cannabis with an estimated street value of £1,080.
Bouchex was also found in possession of a Kinder Egg container with a number of small packages inside that were found to contain 3.65 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of £1,445.
Two mobile phones were also seized from the car and during a subsequent search of the defendant’s house £1,000 cash was seized, as well as other phones and SIM cards.
Following analysis of Bouchex’s blood sample, no further action was taken for the drug driving offence but he was charged with the drug supply and money laundering offences.
Police Sergeant Mark Farrow, of the No Excuse team, said: “Our team is committed to tackling motorists who are committing driving offences, but this case also demonstrates how our presence on the county’s roads can also identify other criminal activity.
“Thanks to our officers stopping Bouchex when he was behind the wheel on 22 December 2016, he has now been brought to justice for possession of a significant amount of drugs.”
