A desperate drug dealer who turned the M20 into a high-speed “high-way” by chucking his Class A stash out of a moving car has been hauled off to the slammer for four years.
Shameless Akindele Balogun, 43, thought he could outrun the law and litter the Kent tarmac with his dirty secrets during a frantic Friday night chase. But the Orpington dealer’s bid for freedom hit a dead end when brave coppers boxed him in and sniffed out the drug den he’d hidden in his shorts!
The drama kicked off near Ashford when officers spotted the shifty driver, who was already on the “naughty list” for breaching his bail. Instead of pulling over, the brazen 43-year-old went berserk, swerving erratically across lanes and veering onto the hard shoulder as sirens wailed and blue lights flashed. Eagle-eyed patrols watched in disbelief as white packages were hurled from the window like toxic confetti while Balogun tried to ditch the evidence. The pursuit came to a crunching halt when police cars slammed the brakes on his escape, pinning him to the spot. While Balogun was being cuffed, officers retraced the route to snatch the discarded wraps of cocaine from the roadside.
The trail of shame didn’t end there. When detectives raided his pad they hit the jackpot. Inside a pair of shorts in his bedroom, they found a massive block of crack cocaine and heroin. More gear was found stuffed in a utility cupboard, alongside £450 in “dirty cash” hidden in the kitchen. Balogun, who was already on licence for previous drug crimes, tried to lie his way out of trouble during a week-long trial at Canterbury Crown Court. But the jury saw right through his act. Exactly a month after being found guilty, the M20 menace was sent down for a four-year stretch, swapping the fast lane for a cramped prison cell.
Detective Constable Martin Aird said:
‘Balogun showed a clear determination to evade officers and dispose of evidence while driving dangerously on a busy motorway. He put other drivers at risk, and thanks to the quick actions of pursuing officers, the vehicle was safely stopped.
‘I welcome the sentence handed down by the justice system, and hope it serves as a warning to anyone considering entering the drug trade and believing they can outrun the consequences.’