Dealer with drugs haul worth over £150,000 jailed

A dealer who was found with more than £150,000 worth of drugs has been jailed for 14 years.

Jose Ivo Ferreira, from Poole, admitted possessing large amounts of cocaine, ketamine and marijuana after being stopped by police in November.

Following searches of his home and a storage facility, officers discovered drugs worth between £154,380 and £190,210 - as well as more than £80,000 in cash.

The 35-year-old was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court for possessing class A and class B drugs alongside a money laundering offence.

Dorset Police said Ferreira had been the subject of an investigation by its Serious Organised Crime Investigation Team.

Following inquiries, the team stopped him in Poole in November.

A search uncovered three bags of cocaine, a large bag of herbal cannabis and a large quantity of cash, the force said.

It said officers conducted further searches at Ferreira's home in Poole and at a storage unit in Corfe Mullen, where large amounts of drugs and cash were uncovered.

The force added that the total value of the seized items and drugs supplied during the investigation was estimated at more than £1.5m.

Det Ch Insp Jamie Halford said Ferreira was "playing a leading role in a significant drugs supply network operating" in Dorset.

"We understand the impact drug supply and associated crime has on our communities and this case demonstrates our commitment to tracking down those at the heart of this activity, stopping them in their tracks and bringing them to justice," he added.