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A Crewe man who claimed to be on a sightseeing trip in Tunbridge Wells was caught red-handed with cocaine hidden in his shoe.
Adrian Badea, 27, was stopped by police at the Fountains Retail Park on March 23, 2023. His black BMW had been flagged for suspicious activity. Despite claiming to be on a holiday to explore towns in the south east, Badea admitted to sleeping in his car, raising further suspicions.
A search uncovered six bags of cocaine, cannabis, and £130 in cash. Badea was charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession of cannabis, and driving without insurance.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years and four months in prison at Maidstone Crown Court on January 14, 2025.
Sergeant Ed Kavanagh said:
‘It’s always pleasing to hear from genuine tourists who are keen to visit and enjoy the many delights of Tunbridge Wells. Sadly, Badea wasn’t one of them. Checks to his phone showed he was being directed by a third party to multiple locations across west Kent to deal drugs. The device included postcode locations from users to have cocaine delivered to their doorsteps.
‘This sentence is just the latest in several recent successful convictions of drug dealers who have tried to target Tunbridge Wells. It again illustrates just how effective our officers are in identifying offenders, many of whom are travelling from other areas of the country, and wrongly assuming we are a soft touch.’