A MAN caught with almost £800,000 in cash in his car in Basildon attempted to tell police he was visiting his aunt as he attempted to evade arrest. 

Lee Smith, 45, has been spared jail despite being caught with the cash, after the court accepted he played a smaller role in a large drugs gang. 

After police watched the exchange, Smith was stopped and the car was searched. 

Basildon Crown Court heard that officers found £670,000 in cash and a further £116,000 in a holdall bag.

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The defendant was also found with weighing machines in his possession. 

Mark Mullins, prosecuting, said: “The defendant said he was visiting his aunt in Basildon, although he did not have an address. Police also found an iPhone 11 and BQ Aquarius mobile phone for which the defendant refused to provide access too.

“In an interview, Mr Smith said he was buying and selling precious metals and using his vehicle to conduct deliveries.”

On October 8, 2020, DC Morgan Jones activated Section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to gain access to the phones.

Messages concerning drugs transactions were found on the devices.

The defendant was charged with a failure to disclose the key to protected information and two counts of transferring criminal property.

Following his arrest, Smith was put on an electronic tag and spent 652 days on curfew.

The curfew term is the equivalent of 22 months in custody.

Smith has 10 previous convictions for 15 offences including an offensive weapon charge in 2003 and cocaine possession in 2005.

Sentencing Smith yesterday, Judge Samantha Leigh said: “Mr Smith you are to be sentenced on two counts of possessing criminal property relating to large amounts of money, £250,000 short of £1 million.

“I already sentenced your co-defendant to eight years for the drugs and two years for the money.”

Smith was stopped following police surveillance of a co-defendant who’s property was raided in May 2020. Officers found 5kg of heroin at the Basildon property.

Smith was sentenced to a total of six months suspended for 18 months and is required to complete 40 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.