A man has been jailed for drug offences after being stopped in Risby near Bury St Edmunds.

Petar Gaydarov, 20, of no-fixed-abode but from the Bury St Edmunds area, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday, 3 December after pleading guilty to drug and driving offences.

On Monday 4 November officers from the Sentinel West team located a vehicle parked in Risby near Bury St Edmunds. Gaydrov was detained for the purposes of a search under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, where officers located multiple press seal bags of powder cocaine within a compartment inside his vehicle, alongside a quantity of cash. Officers then located a nearby stash where a further 32 press seal bags of cocaine were located.

He was arrested and subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and use of a vehicle without insurance. In additional to the custodial sentence, Gaydarov also had £245 in cash forfeited.

PC Harry Tully from the Sentinel West team said: “Gaydarov provided a completely fictitious account when he was stopped and the reasons for being in Bury St Edmunds on the day in question.

“The team were tenacious in locating the additional stash of drugs, despite the efforts Gaydarov took to hide them.

“It took one month from arrest to sentence at court. This shows another example of where swift, robust action has been taken to put offenders before the courts at the earliest opportunity.”

The arrest and investigation was led by the Sentinel West team. The three Sentinel teams across the south, west and eastern areas of the county provide enhanced coverage of Suffolk’s road network to proactively disrupt serious and organised criminal activity as well as increase police visibility. The mobile unit disrupts criminals and protects communities across Suffolk’s road network using a variety of techniques to deal with offenders involved.

If you suspect drug activity report this via the website www.suffolk.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/report-crime, call 101, or alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers to report anonymously – either online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111.