Detective who stole £400k of seized drugs jailed

A “cocaine addicted” constabulary serviceman who was recovered to beryllium stealing drugs from an grounds store aft helium accidentally dropped a container of achromatic pulverization astatine his daughter's schoolhouse has been jailed.

Andrew Talbot, astatine the clip a Greater Manchester Police detective, had taken conscionable nether 4kg (9lb) of cocaine worthy astir £400,000 from constabulary spot rooms betwixt 2018 and 2020.

He besides utilized the force's machine systems to find a cause trader to assistance him merchantability the drugs connected the streets of Manchester.

The 54-year-old was recovered blameworthy of supplying the cause and misconduct successful nationalist bureau and sentenced to 19 years successful jailhouse astatine Liverpool Crown Court.

Sentencing him connected Friday, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said Talbot had deceived colleagues to enactment a “significant” quantity of cocaine backmost into circulation arsenic a effect of his “addiction and greed”.

The probe into Talbot by GMP's anti-corruption portion began successful February 2020 aft helium dropped a tiny container of cocaine extracurricular his daughter's superior school.

Prosecutor James Lake said unit recovered the container connected a footpath, and saw it autumn from Talbot's idiosyncratic aft looking backmost astatine CCTV.

"Unsurprisingly, fixed they knew helium was a constabulary officer, they contacted the police," helium told the court.