Two Basildon drug dealers have gone to prison after police found a five-figure haul of cash and cannabis.

Police searched the home of David Glover, 30, in Seaview Avenue and found a total of £73,370 in cash and a large quantity of cannabis with a street value of £17,330 with scales and bags.

Glover was charged with possession of class B drugs with intent to supply and three counts of money laundering.

He was sentenced to three-years in prison.

He claimed that the cash and cannabis belonged to his friend Tony Cooper, 32, of no fixed address.

Glover was arrested after the search of his home and placed in custody for questioning.

After his arrest, Cooper handed himself into police.

He was charged with perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 20 months.

Halstead Gazette:

Dc Jodie Kinsley, the investigating officer from Basildon CID, said: “Cooper had a substantial amount of cash and drugs but denied any involvement in criminality."

Cooper told police he had been staying at Glover's home.

He claimed that he had stolen the cannabis from the back of a van however he did not know large sums of money which were being kept inside of the house.

Glover denied owning £60,000 of the money which was kept inside of a holdall and the drugs, but forensics found his fingerprints on the bags of cannabis following their search of the house in Basildon.

The money was kept both in the holdall and a further £10,000 was hidden inside of a foot stool which Glover claimed were winnings from gambling which he had earned.

More cash was also found stashed around the house in smaller sums.

Halstead Gazette:

The pair's stories did not match up when police questioned them and the case was heard before a jury at Basildon Crown Court.

They were originally arrested in January 2016.

Speaking on Cooper's story, Dc Kinsley said: "He blamed his friend, who provided false information to police in an attempt to frustrate the investigation.

“Now both have been jailed as a result. This case shows that where criminals try to avoid justice, the truth will come out eventually and you will be caught out.”

The pair were sentenced by the court on Monday September 18.