The property was searched on April 21, 2022, after police stopped a car driven by Ben Freeman and discovered a wrap of cocaine hidden in one of his socks.

Freeman immediately admitted that far greater quantities of drugs were kept inside his Goods Station Road home. He told officers from Tunbridge Wells Community Policing Team that the drugs were in a bag that he was looking after for someone else. A search warrant was executed at the property, and more than £7,000 in cash and 120 grammes of cocaine were recovered.

Freeman refused to account for evidence on his phone, which included a tick list of customers, during a police interview. He claimed that nearly £350 of the money seized from his home was related to a partner’s cake baking hobby, and that another £475 he was carrying in a wallet came from selling cigarettes to coworkers.

Freeman, 37, pleaded guilty to cocaine possession with intent to supply and criminal property possession (namely the cash seized). He was sentenced to two years and four months in prison at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, February 23, 2023.

Freeman was arrested as a result of some excellent policing by our local officers, and ultimately this has prevented a significant amount of drugs from being distributed onto the streets,’ said Sergeant Ed Kavanagh of the Tunbridge Wells Community Policing Team. Criminals, such as Freeman, mistakenly believe they can operate with impunity. We have repeatedly demonstrated that drug dealers who attempt to operate in this town can expect a strong response and, ultimately, a prison sentence.’

Freeman will now face a financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act to assess and recover any criminal gains he made as a result of his crimes.