Two men involved in drug trafficking have been sentenced to a combined 12 years of imprisonment after they left a bag containing ketamine on a train and subsequently reported it as lost.
Jordan McCourt-Knight, aged 30, and Harley Hall, aged 28, were sentenced in Cardiff, UK, on Friday, November 8, following a thorough investigation conducted by the British Transport Police.
The investigation was initiated when McCourt-Knight accidentally left a bag carrying a substantial quantity of ketamine on a train in Newport, south Wales.
Train staff discovered the bag and alerted the police, who found a substantial amount of ketamine inside.
As the police searched for the owner, McCourt-Knight reported the bag as missing to the staff at Newport station.
Upon his arrest, McCourt-Knight was found in possession of class A and C drugs along with ‘drug paraphernalia’ and several mobile phones.
The ketamine’s street value was estimated to be between £19,940 and £39,880 ($25,160 – $50,320).
The investigation revealed a drug operation spanning the south west of England and Shropshire, with drugs being imported from Portugal.
Messages on one of McCourt-Knight’s devices led to the identification of Hall, whose home was later searched, revealing thousands of pounds in cash and over a kilogram of cannabis.
Detective Sergeant Dan Murdoch commented, “Our officers worked tirelessly to bring about these convictions. McCourt-Knight and Hall were in direct communication with international drug suppliers, sourcing numerous class A, B and C drugs which were then supplied throughout various parts of the UK.
“McCourt-Knight boasted about his use of his Encro-Device which was used along with his mobile phone to source and distribute the drugs.
“But his boastfulness was short lived, as, through one careless mistake, McCourt-Knight single-handedly helped bring down the drugs ring, unwittingly aiding detectives in unraveling the entire enterprise.
“These individuals cause significant harm to our communities through the supply of and profit from illicit drugs, often exploiting vulnerable persons in the process, and it is testament to the work of the team that they are now behind bars.”
McCourt-Knight admitted to two counts of conspiracy to supply a class A drug and five counts of conspiracy to supply class B drugs, receiving a sentence of six years and three months.
Hall pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply a class A drug, three counts of conspiracy to supply a class B drug, and one count of possession with intent to supply cannabis, resulting in a sentence of five years and 10 months.