Cambridgeshire drug dealer kept cocaine worth nearly half a million pounds hidden on boat

A drug dealer who kept cocaine with a street value of nearly £500,000 on a boat in Huntingdon has been jailed for eight years.

Ben Cunningham, 49, of Wyton Moorings, Banks End, was found to be a key cog within a criminal network selling drugs in the Cambridgeshire area, buying and selling drugs on a commercial scale.

He was arrested in March 2022 by detectives from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) whilst aboard the San Periel boat, which was moored on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdon.

Investigators searching the vessel found blocks of high purity cocaine with a potential street value of £470,000, along with more than £13,000 in cash and cannabis worth £7,000.

The investigation established that Cunningham was a local link to an organised crime group (OCG) which moved and sold cocaine across the UK.

Two members of the drug dealing network were jailed earlier this year for a combined 24 years.

Tracy Wicks, 49, of Bunyan Road, Kempston, Bedfordshire, was also aboard the San Periel when officers raided the boat, with detectives finding scales and more cocaine within a parcel addressed to her.

Officers established that Cunningham and Wicks had also been staying at The Old Bridge Hotel, near to their mooring, spending more than £900 on accommodation and food.

Cunningham was charged and subsequently pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis, and possession of criminal property.

On Friday (4 August) he was jailed following a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court.

Wicks was previously handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine.

Detective Inspector Ian Mawdesley, from ERSOU’s Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Through our enquiries it was clear that Cunningham played a leading role in the sale and movement of cocaine in Cambridgeshire, and it’s positive that he will now spend significant time behind bars.

“Despite having no legitimate source of income, Cunningham and Wicks used the profit from the illicit sale of drugs to live a lavish lifestyle, frequently dining out and staying in expensive hotels. They paid no regard for the harm their actions were causing the local area.

“Drug dealing has a devastating effect on our communities and is often directly connected to a wide range of criminality such as burglary, robbery and exploitation.

“Detectives from ERSOU will continue to target those in our region who are involved in drug dealing and take action to apprehend and put them before the courts.”