A DRUG dealer has been jailed after being caught by a plain clothes officer patrolling in Southend High Street.

Shawn Lally, a 29-year-old of South Road, Erdington, Birmingham, was snared when a plain clothes officer was patrolling in Southend High Street on Wednesday, March 29. 

The officer was patrolling when he heard a phone conversation going on ahead of him which mentioned the phrase “three for £20” – a well-known phrase used in drug dealing.

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He then began following a man and a woman. The pair then walked along Queens Road, and then towards a car park in Elmer Avenue.

The officer then spotted a man, now known to be Lally, at the entrance to the car park who was carrying a white draw-string JD Sports bag.

As the drug deal was about to be completed, the officer, along with a colleague who had been called to assist, began approaching the man and let him know they were police officers. As they did so, the man was seen to put a blue wrap into his mouth.

As he was detained, officers were able to safely remove the wrap from the man’s mouth and he was arrested.

During a thorough search of his home, officers found significant amounts of white powder and brown powder in parcels and in pre-prepared wraps. 

Tests showed the powders were heroin and crack cocaine worth thousands of pounds. 

Lally was then charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

He admitted the charges and was sentenced at Southend Crown Court on May 10 to a total of six years in prison. 

Det Sgt Rob Maile, of the operation raptor south team at Essex Police, said: “Lally was quite literally caught red-handed by officers who were out proactively patrolling in Southend.

“Even though the public may not think officers are around, I can assure them that they are and, on this occasion, the officer’s diligence and professionalism has led to a drug dealer being jailed for six years and a sizeable number of drugs which were destined for the streets of Southend being seized.” 

Essex Police added: “A proceeds of crime hearing will take place in due course, during which our financial investigators will outline exactly how much criminal benefit Lally made.

“We will then make an application to seize that money back either in cash or through his assets.”