A drug dealer branded "a significant player in organised criminality” with cocaine with £400,000 has been jailed.

Luke Connor, of Riverside Place, Wickford, was locked up for eight years and officers say now these drugs cannot harm the communities.

During a raid at the 28-year-old’s home, police found three 1kg bricks of cocaine, roughly 1kg of loose cocaine in a number of containers, a substantial amount of cannabis and £140,000 in cash.

Officers also discovered a number of weapons and several mobile phones.

The seized cocaine had a street value of about £400,000.

Detective Inspector Yoni Adler, of the serious and organised crime unit, said: “Given the amount of drugs and cash we seized in Connor’s home, it’s clear he was a significant player in organised criminality.

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“The drugs which we seized were bound for the streets of Essex and, as a result of this operation, none of them will cause harm to our communities.

“We take an uncompromising approach to drug supply and organised crime in Essex.

“Connor must have thought he was above the law and he was oblivious to the case we were building against him until the afternoon of July 15 last year.”

During a further search of his Audi, officers found a bag for life containing about £80,000 in cash in the boot of the vehicle.

Connor was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences and subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs, possession of criminal property, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of cannabis.

He was also among the first in the UK to be charged with possession of a prohibited weapon in a private place.

The Offensive Weapons Act - which makes it an offence to have a weapon in a private place as well as a public place – came into law just 25 hours before officers secured permission for the charge.

Connor admitted all charges and was sentenced to a total of eight years at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

All the drugs have been destroyed and a proceeds of crime hearing will be held.