£1m worth of cannabis found in van

Feb 22 2008 by Chloe Griffiths, Liverpool Daily Post

NEARLY £1m worth of cannabis was seized during a random spot check after police stopped a driver because he was acting suspiciously.

Paul Garner was driving through the Mersey tunnel towards Birkenhead when he spotted roadside police.

Liverpool Crown Court yesterday heard when police pulled him over, Garner was so nervous he parked his van in the middle of the road, and when he got out he was visibly shaking.

Officers searched the van and discovered the drugs in a white bag and several boxes. They were filled with 800 blocks of cannabis resin, weighing just under 200kg and with a value on the streets of £994,250.

Garner, 27, of Mimosa Road, Wavertree, admitted possessing the drugs with intent to supply.

Nigel Power, defending, told the court Garner – who was unemployed, about to become a father and struggling with debt – said it had been a one-off, after being recruited to act as a driver.

Judge Gerald Clifton, sentenced Garner to three-and-a-half years in prison.