During a traffic stop in Basildon, on Friday 1 December, officers found 30-year-old Thomas Salton behind the wheel of a Range Rover.

He was notably nervous and agitated while interacting with our officers.

In the boot, the officers found party bags containing items such as Christmas crackers and sweets.

Alongside these more innocent items were grip-sealed bags of ketamine, together with nitrous oxide canisters with balloons.

Officers also seized a sum of cash – found to be more than £38,000.

Amongst the items found was a ‘naughty and nice’ list, denoting the customers at the party who had elected to have illicit drugs in their party bags, and a non-disclosure agreement with Salton’s name at the top.

Following Salton’s arrest, we executed warrants at his home address in Hunters Court, Brentwood, and two storage units linked to Salton in the Vange area.

At the units, officers uncovered a vacuum-sealed bag of psilocybin mushrooms, further bags of ketamine and 17 boxes of canisters – totalling 408 nitrous oxide canisters.

Salton appeared at Southend Crown Court on Monday 8 January, where he admitted possession with intent to supply a Class B and Class C drug.

He also admitted possession of a Class A drug, on the basis the mushrooms found were for personal consumption and possession of criminal property.

At the same court on Monday 19 February, he was sentenced to 35 months‘ imprisonment.