FOUR suspects from Warrington have been charged after cocaine with an estimated street value of around £20 million was seized near Lymm.

At around 8.30pm yesterday, Thursday, officers stopped two vehicles between junction 19 and 20 on the M6 northbound.

The vehicles – a van and a car – were searched and officers discovered a large quantity of what is believed to be cocaine.

Four people, from Warrington, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

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Dean Brettle, 36, of Lord Nelson Street in Fairfield and Howley, Andrew Daniels, 40, of Laira Street in Fairfield and Howley, Jamie Simpson, 30 of Delery Drive in Fearnhead and Clare Smith, 35 of Oakland Street in Fairfield and Howley have all been charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

All four people charged have been remanded into custody to appear at Chester Crown Court on 31 August. 

DCS Aaron Duggan, head of crime at Cheshire Police, said: “This significant seizure of class A drugs is one of the largest in Cheshire’s history.

“It is the early stages of our investigation and I am confident that this colossal seizure will go some way toward disrupting the illegal, organised crime groups preying on the most vulnerable people in our communities in Cheshire and the wider north west region.

“The corrosive effect of illegal drugs on communities cannot be understated.

"Behind every single drug deal there is vulnerability and misery and we are committed to tackling the problem and targeting those involved.

“I am sure the public will see this seizure as a really positive step in our fight against the illegal drug trade in Cheshire and further afield.

“We are aware that removing such a large quantity of drugs from the streets may have an impact on GP surgeries, hospitals and health support agencies and we are liaising with them and other partner agencies to minimise this potential impact.”

David Keane, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, said: “This is a fantastic result for officers in Cheshire in preventing such a large quantity of drugs which damage so many lives from reaching the streets. It also demonstrates the dedication of officers in tackling this significant issue for society.

“Whilst I would like to commend officers in their achievements, I also recognise the potential impacts of a seizure of this magnitude. The public can be assured that we will be working really closely with our partners to ensure the wider implications of taking such a large haul of drugs out of circulation are addressed.”

Information on the use and supply of illegal drugs can be given to Cheshire Police on 101 or via cheshire.police.uk/contact/general-enquiries. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.