The discovery of blocks of cocaine at an Isle of Wight landmark – thought to have been moved and hidden after washing up on the beach – has led to the arrest of a 57-year-old Ryde man, Island Echo can reveal.
It was yesterday morning (Sunday) that a member of the public alerted Police to finding 2 suspicious packages – believed to be cocaine – washed up on the beach at Chale some 2 days prior, on Friday 13th October.
Based on the information provided, officers from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary were deployed to St Catherine’s Down, near the viewpoint car park at Blackgang, where a male led officers up towards The Pepperpot – an oratory landmark.
5 officers accompanying the first informant discovered packages of suspected Class A drugs that are thought to have been hidden in the countryside. An Armed Response Vehicle from the mainland with a further 2 officers arrived a short time later.
Following an initial investigation, it was suspected by the attending officers that the packages had been opened and moved before the Police had been called. As a result, a 57-year-old man from Ryde was arrested for being concerned in the supply of drugs.
He has since been bailed until 15th January.
This latest drugs discovery comes a week after several large packages of high-purity cocaine washed up on beaches in the South and West Wight, with further packages found floating at sea. Millions of pounds worth of cocaine has been seized by the National Crime Agency as a result – although officials are yet to confirm how much they’ve found and its estimated value.
Last week a man in his 70s was arrested – and later released without charge – after finding a haul of coke on the beach near Atherfield, before taking 2 blocks home with him. He was 1 of 2 people seen removing the cocaine from the beach. The 2nd man is still in the wind, as exclusively reported by Island Echo on Monday, but Police say it is not the 57-year-old arrested yesterday.
You can read more about the timeline of the discoveries at https://www.islandecho.co.uk/yet-more-coke-found-as-authorities-continue-to-sniff-out-mystery-drug-traffickers/.
Greedy little Piggy’s.
Last week a man in his 70s was arrested – and later released without charge – after finding a haul of coke on the beach near Atherfield, before taking 2 blocks home with him.
Hang on then why was he released without charge?
Probably because a) at the time he didn’t know what was and had just picked up to avoid others finding or dog walkers in case poison or because he was beach combing and just part of what other stuff he found. At the time there was no media or public awareness. No good phoning 101 as no signal,or they don’t answer or maybe he had no phone. Maybe they’ll arrest you if you find a wallet and take home while trying to find owner or report. Police are stopping people reporting by doing this and therefore could put public at risk, police can ask questions without having to arrest,99% of us are honest citizens and nothing to hide.
Would you not take it all then? Rather than just 2
So is this the member of public that found at Pepper pot ? Did he like most of us, pull it out of brush and check it out before then calling police, maybe his dog found it ? . Police keep doing this and will loose public confidence to report things if then get arrested. By arresting and then get named and released with out charge then puts them at risk from the big dealers that will want revenge towards someone for their loss , there will be a mole with in the police the more officers that get involved.
yeah right – he found it, saw the opportunity to cash in, hid it and had plans on selling it on, however, it would appear that his plans have been thwarted.
any half decent lawyer would say “my client found these items and put them in a safe place before, deciding on whether what he had found, was in fact illegal and whether he needed to call the police”
nothing can be proven against the bloke, unless it was his gear and he is already known to the police and they had word that he was trying to shift a lot of coke all of a sudden.
Freddie, unfortunately i’m afraid your quite probably correct in what your saying.
Yeah and the guy that actually took it home with him from the beach got released without charge. Yet the person that finds it and reports it gets arrested
Don’t think for one moment that our police are not corrupt…..Governments and Council’s are corrupt so are our police….
So if I was caught in possession of 2 blocks of cocaine I would be released without charge? Clearly it’s who you know not what you know
Once again armed officers had to be sent over from the mainland. God forbid we had a real urgent incident involving firearms. It’s about time the PCC gave us adequate numbers of police on the Island.
Do you need armed officers for this ,?. Bet no armed officers protecting public who reported or these possible inocents. If the risks are that great why did it even happen,police and serious crime should of had the intel and not again wait for us the public to come forward etc..
I think it’s terrible that the older generation are having to resort to shifting sniff to make ends meet.
I think it is terrible
Obviously not content with just sniffing the pepper!
Hey bud! Looks like ya found my secret stash! Please return to twitch user VSMUNCLEJOE
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