Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Darlington Dealer Jailed for Nine Years and Six Months After Border Seizure Exposed MDMA and LSD Plot

A Border Force seizure under Operation Sentinel triggered the case, built by NEROCU with NCA support.

Overview

  • Teesside Crown Court sentenced Matthew Smith, 35, after he admitted multiple drug and weapons offences.
  • UK Border Force intercepted a parcel on September 26, 2023 that contained MDMA and LSD bound for Darlington.
  • Officers later raided addresses on Charles Street and Thames Way, recovering further Class A and B drugs and a weapon.
  • Analysis of Smith’s phone showed an overseas LSD sale to a U.S. buyer with a request for Bitcoin payment.
  • A police specialist estimated the seized drugs’ value at £6,600 to £13,750, and the investigation was led by NEROCU under Operation Sentinel with NCA support.