Jarreh Darboe, 37, a Gambian staying in Hawthorn Road, Little Sutton in the UK and another man have been jailed for attempting to import £43,000 worth of drugs.
Darboe whose rented house in Hoole was at the centre of the case – was sentenced at Chester Crown Court along with John Richards, 50, of Bourne Mill Drive, Birmingham.
Darboe was imprisoned for two years and three months while Richards was jailed for one year and eight months. Their downfall came thanks to a joint investigation by Cheshire Police and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) which began in June 2014 when the UKBA intercepted a parcel from South Africa that contained 4.48kg of cannabis.
The parcel was addressed to a resident on Sumpter Pathway, Hoole in Chester.
Checks were conducted at the address, where it was established that the parcel was addressed to a former tenant and the home was now occupied by Darboe, who claimed he knew nothing about the delivery.
However, suspicions were aroused once again in October 2014 when UKBA intercepted a second package containing 4.22kg of cannabis resin which was destined for Sumpter Pathway.
After making the discovery the UKBA contacted colleagues at Cheshire Police, who intercepted the parcel as it was delivered at Darboe’s address on October 13. At the time of delivery, Darboe was working in his Chester hair salon in Brook Street but, having been told that his parcel was about to arrive, he swiftly arranged for a member of his family to return home to sign for the parcel.
However, the man sent to collect the parcel got more than he was expecting when undercover officers swooped to arrest him on suspicion of drugs offences, before searching the address.
Officers also conducted a warrant at Darboe’s Brook Street salon and arrested him on suspicion of importing class B drugs.
Darboe denied any involvement, claiming he believed the parcel contained hair products that his friend, ‘Tony Mendy’ from Birmingham, had asked to be delivered to Darboe’s address.
Source: Chester chronicle
