A drug dealer was caught in his underwear after police raided his home.
Officers found a large stash of cocaine and heroin that Lucas Dodd, 23, had hastily hidden behind a communal washing machine. Police also found over £8,000 in cash, along with three burner phones with messages about drug dealing.
Dodd, of Little Hulton, said he wanted to pay back the money he had borrowed after he was released from his last prison sentence and said drug dealing was ‘an effective way of doing that’.
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Jailing him for over four years for possession with intent to supply class A drugs and money laundering offences, presiding Judge Hilary Manley said: “You knew you could make money from being a drug dealer - I have no doubt you knew the risks and you took them.
“Carry on like this after being released and you can expect much longer sentences.”
Prosecuting, Philip Hall said that on September 9 this year, at around 8.30am, officers from GMP Salford exercised a warrant under the misuse of drugs act at Dodd’s address as part of their investigation into organised crime, namely Operation Naseby. As they approached the block of flats, they saw him looking out at officers through a window and refused to open the door.
The officers had to force the door before making their way to his flat. He was found in another man’s flat in just his underwear.
“Officers searched his flat and found a small amount of cannabis,” the prosecutor said. "They then searched the kitchen area, used as the communal area, and behind the washing machine they found a bag containing £7,000 in cash.
“They also recovered a bag containing numerous wraps of brown and white substances, as well as mobile phones.”
Police believed Dodd had quickly attempted to hide the drugs when he saw them outside. The search also revealed a set of digital scales, a debtors list and a machete in its sheath.
In total, officers recovered 7.97 grams of cocaine valued at £810; 46.33 grams of crack cocaine valued at £5,870; and 76.56 grams of heroin valued at £3,300.
Dodd was said to have six previous convictions for 15 offences. He recently served the equivalent of half of a 54 month prison sentence for his part in a cash in transit robbery and was on licence in September. He was also subject to a suspended sentence order for unrelated offences.
Defending, Michael James said: “He was released in October 2020, during the course of the lockdown, and was trying to find employment. He attempted to apply for benefits but was unable to do so. He went into the business of landscape gardening. He didn’t know where to go.
“He still had connections with people who sold drugs and he needed to pay back the money he borrowed - he decided this was an effective way of doing that.”
Mr James said that his client’s intention was to stop dealing drugs once his debts were settled and said he recognised he ‘let his family down’. Dodd, of Granville Street, was jailed for 49 months.
PC Reece Brown of GMP Organised Crime Unit in Salford said: “Today’s sentencing is a great result for Operation Naseby.
"It demonstrates our commitment to tackling organised crime in Salford and I hope it sends a signal to those involved in the supply of drugs - and all the misery that entails – that they have no place in our community. If you commit these offences, we will pursue you and bring you to justice.”
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