Warwickshire crack dealer tried to swallow drugs after being caught by police

A Warwickshire crack dealer tried to swallow a packet of drugs after being caught by police.

But an officer spotted what he was doing and managed to grab the package before he swallowed it.

Craig Cresswell, aged 34, of Berkswell Road, Coventry, was sentenced on 28 July to three years and four months in prison for possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

He was caught on February 19 2021 when he and Justin Somers - aged 33, of Stanley Road, Nuneaton - were spotted by officers from Nuneaton’s Proactive CID in Norman Avenue.

They had parked up in the middle of the road in a grey VW Golf, where they were seen taking part in an exchange with a known drug user.

Two officers ran towards the Golf, and the third officer drove round to block their escape.

A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police said: "Cresswell (in the driver’s seat) and Somers (in the passenger seat) were then both arrested, and a search of both the car and the two persons uncovered over £1,000 cash.

"A quantity of cannabis was also found in the car door, and two burner phones were discovered on the driver’s seat.

"A number of messages between the dealers and their customers were found on the phone records, including one saying “Be careful drug squad rushed [other known dealers] so be alert”.

"In the police car, Cresswell attempted to transfer a bag from his waistband to his mouth. He was spotted by an officer, who managed to grab the package before Cresswell swallowed.

"It was found to contain 91 wraps of crack cocaine.

"Following a bout of vomiting, Cresswell was taken to George Elliot Hospital for an x-ray, after claiming to have been made ill from swallowing an additional package of drugs passed to him by Somers.

"When taken for the X-ray, a second bag was discovered by hospital staff in his bed, which contained 42 wraps of crack cocaine and 44 wraps of heroin.

"All in all, the estimated street value for the seized drugs was around £2,245."

Cresswell’s passenger Justin Somers was sentenced to six months in jail back on January 10 for two counts of possession with intent to sell class A drugs and possession of cannabis.

This will be served concurrently with a 45 month sentence Somers is already serving for dealing crack and heroin.

Detective Constable Stanton said “The problem with swallowing crack and heroin is that, should all those wraps rupture in your stomach, what began as a prison sentence from the courts can quickly turn into a self-imposed death sentence.

“Better just to let us know you’ve got them – no matter how well hidden the drugs are, we’ll find them eventually.”