A drug dealer’s attempt to hide his stash literally fell flat when more than 40 street deals of cocaine dropped from his underwear during a strip search in custody. Mateus Parente, 26, was arrested after plainclothes officers stopped his rental car on March 27, 2025, on suspicion of drug dealing in Tunbridge Wells.
Police initially began following Parente’s grey Mazda in Southborough due to its suspected connection to cocaine supply in the area. When officers approached his vehicle in a car park, Parente was seen through the driver’s window reaching towards his waistband.
Officers from the Tunbridge Wells Neighbourhood Taskforce detained Parente and conducted a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This initial search uncovered £200 in cash and a single vial of cocaine hidden in a sock within the driver’s door.
However, the full extent of his concealment became apparent during a subsequent strip search at the police station. A black sock containing an additional 42 vials of cocaine fell from Parente’s underwear. Further evidence, including postcodes of drug users and a photo of one of the vials, was found on his phone.
Detective Constable Matt Kujtkowski said: ‘Parente is another dealer from outside of Kent who wrongly thought he could operate in Tunbridge Wells, without consequence. We know criminals like him will continue to target our neighbourhoods but I’d like to reassure residents we will continue to deal robustly with anyone involved in the supply of drugs, to ensure that they get the punishment they deserve. There will be no let up.’
‘Users who consume cocaine really need to understand how their actions can have a profound impact on where they live. The so-called recreational use of this drugs creates a demand which directly leads to organised crime that blights our communities, putting people in harm’s way, and at risk of violence on the streets from the criminal gangs involved.’
Parente, of Limes Road, Croydon, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to possessing cocaine with intent to supply and driving without insurance. On June 24, he was sentenced to two years and two months in prison.