Chester man found with £1.5m of cocaine in car boot jailed

A Chester man has been sentenced to five years and five months in prison after Cheshire Police discovered £1.5m worth of cocaine in his vehicle during a stop on the M6.

Peter Wiggins, 55, of Wordsworth Crescent, Blacon, was stopped by officers near Stafford Services on Tuesday 26 November 2024.

During a search of his Vauxhall Astra, officers uncovered a large box in the boot containing 15 individually wrapped kilogram blocks of cocaine.

Wiggins was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

A subsequent search of his home uncovered more drugs, £500 in cash, and a knuckle duster, leading to an additional arrest for possession of an offensive weapon.

Forensic analysis estimated the street value of the seized cocaine at up to £1.5m.

Wiggins provided no comment during his police interviews and later pleaded guilty to all charges at Stafford Crown Court.

Detective Sergeant Roy Wellings of Cheshire Police described the operation as a significant success in the fight against drug trafficking.

He said: “Disrupting the supply of illegal drugs in and out of Cheshire remains a top priority for the Constabulary, day in, day out and anyone who is brazen enough to think that they can get in or out of our county undetected, is sadly mistaken and underestimates our abilities.

“Peter Wiggins travelled to an address in the West Midlands, where he remained for upwards of two hours, before returning to Cheshire with a boot full of cocaine wrapped up in kilogram blocks. Despite quite clearly being caught out, he still refused to admit any accountability until the very last minute, when he had no other choice.

“We take this kind of criminality very seriously here in Cheshire, so let this result be a warning to anyone who thinks they can get away with drug dealing in our county without any repercussions.”