Industry News Jail for criminal sniffed out by police dog A man who was found with an estimated £720,000 of cocaine in his van has been jailed for nine years, thanks in part to the efforts of a specialist detection dog. On March 4 this year, 25-year-old Jake Layzell was stopped by police officers while travelling along the A130 near South Woodham Ferrers. His vehicle was searched by police under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act and, with the use of a specialist detection dog, £2000 in cash was found in his jacket pocket. The dog, which has been specially trained to detect cash, firearms or drugs, continued to search the van and indicated that something was, or had been kept, in a professionally fitted metal store within the van. The area appeared to be empty. The vehicle was taken to Harwich International Port to be scanned using specialist X-ray equipment belonging to the UK Border Force. The scan revealed that there was an area concealed behind the metal story, which was being kept in place by two large electromagnets. A total of six kilograms of cocaine and 35 grams of cannabis bud were found. Officers continue to inspect the van and found seven counterfeit £20 notes, five mobile phones - two of which were heavily encrypted devices - and a document confirming him as the registered owner of the van. Layzell, 25, of Newland Street, Witham, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply of cocaine and possession of cannabis. He was jailed for nine years for his crimes, plus a further one month for possession of cannabis, which will run concurrently. (Source: East Anglian Daily Times) Detection dogs helping to stem prison drugs crisis Extra measures to prevent drugs in prisons - including increasing numbers of detection dogs and handlers - have been introduced on some sites after an official report warned drug use in jails is now “widespread”. Made worse by the emergence of psychoactive substances, a recent report revealed that the scale of the problem is “significant” and has become more challenging in recent years. The Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service said: “The misuse of drugs in prison is one of the biggest challenges facing our criminal justice system today. “Drug misuse is prevalent and contributes to violence, crime and vulnerability within prisons, which threatens safety and the ability of our hard-working prison staff to deliver effective regimes.” Prisons Minister, Rory Stewart, said extra measures for drug detection had been introduced in 10 of the country’s most challenging prisons. The 10 Prisons Project was announced in August 2018 and is being funded by an initial £10 million investment. Various measures have already been implemented. Each prison now has extra specialist staff and teams in place, including a drugs strategy manager, additional entry searching staff and more dog handlers. The measures also include scanners which can detect invisible traces of drugs, including psychoactive substances, soaked into clothing and paper – a technique increasingly used by criminals attempting to smuggle drugs into prisons. These prisons are also investing in changes to the prison environment to improve decency and provide clean and appropriate sanitation as well as refurbish cells and shared areas. (Sources: Gov.uk; Huffpost; BBC)
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