Cocaine Stash in Grove Park Gardens

Three jailed after over a million pounds worth of drugs found

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Three men have been jailed after police discovered a massive haul of cocaine and cash in Chiswick.

The trio were apprehended by detectives from the Central Task Force after £1.3 million worth of cocaine was recovered from a property in Grove Park Gardens and two vehicles used by the gang. In addition police found £500,000 in cash hidden in the Chiswick house including notes that had been stuffed under the bed.

Naim Haziri, 32; Harvey O’Neill, 27; and Francis Butler, 48, were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court after pleading guilty to various offences relating to drugs and money laundering.

Last March, Haziri was seen entering the Grove Park Gardens address carrying a large black holdall. Twenty minutes later O’Neill arrived at the property. Whilst he remained inside, Haziri left the address - no longer in possession of the bag.

Naziri was subsequently stopped by police at Heston services on the M4 West where he was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and money laundering. Meanwhile O’Neill was stopped by police as he left the address in W4. He was also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply drugs and taken to Hounslow.

Detectives executed a search warrant at the premises, where they found a kilo of cocaine concealed within four socks hidden in a plastic bag. Within a bed base in one of the bedrooms officers recovered four plastic bags containing cash amounting to around £200,000. Inside a safe, hidden within a concealed comportment of a wardrobe, a further £300,000 was seized.

The occupier of the house, Butler, told officers he was looking after the stash of cash and drugs on behalf of an unnamed individual. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He later pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and money laundering and was sentenced to five and a half years and five and a half years respectively. The counts are to run concurrently.

Further inquiries identified a lock-up premises linked to O’Neill located in a remote country lane in the High Wycombe area. Inside officers discovered a safe containing items used for wrapping drugs and a cocaine press.

Two vehicles used by this network were subsequently searched and a further 2 kilos of cocaine recovered. The vehicles had secret compartments where the drugs were concealed.


August 25, 2011