Three men have been jailed for a total of 10 years after being found in possession of more than a tonne of cannabis.
On Wednesday 13 November 2024, an unmarked patrol car had identified a suspicious vehicle and requested it stop in Wrotham Road, Gravesend.
Noting the nervousness of the Ford Transit’s driver, Ramesh Tuladhar, and passenger, Jack Phillips, as well as inconsistencies in their reasons for travelling, officers searched the van.
Inside the vehicle was more than 500kg of vacuum sealed cannabis as well as £2,005 in cash. Tuladhar and Phillips were subsequently arrested.
Detectives used CCTV to track the van’s previous route, showing a different man had been driving it alone shortly before the stop.
From the footage, investigators determined the driver was Sukhwant Goraya and he was arrested later that day in a different car on the same day.
Officers also searched two premises linked to Phillips, namely his home address in Brixton, London and a property in Wanstead, London, where they found a further 933kg of cannabis and paraphernalia including scales and a drug press.
More cannabis was uncovered after a search of Tuladhar’s home in Stoke Newington, London.
Court
Tuladhar, 58, and Phillips, 70, pleaded guilty at Medway Magistrates’ Court to possession with intent to supply cannabis. Goraya, 59, of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis and was convicted following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.
The three men appeared together at the same court for sentencing on Tuesday 23 December. Tuladhar was jailed for two years, Goraya received a prison sentence of three years and Phillips was imprisoned for five years.
Detective Constable Aaron Chapman said:
‘We estimate the combined haul of cannabis to be around 1.3 tonnes of cannabis, with a street value exceeding £1million. These criminals were making a significant profit and it is pleasing to have seized a significant quantity of drugs from them whilst seizing some of the dealers’ ill-gotten gains. This case highlights the effectiveness of proactive policing and we’re very pleased to see these three men will spend a significant amount of time in prison.’