A man with nine children asserted that he was set up when police apprehended him with over 1.5 kilograms of cocaine after he agreed to deliver a package, a court revealed.
Luke Campbell, a former member of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards who had served in Afghanistan, received £250 to transport the parcel from Swansea to Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire on August 8. The 34-year-old, employed as a delivery driver for DPD, had encountered the recipient through work, but authorities intercepted the package at the Pont Abraham motorway services.
At Swansea Crown Court, it was disclosed that Dyfed-Powys Police had received intelligence about a Mercedes Sprinter van traveling west on the M4 from Swansea. Officers stopped the vehicle around 3:50 pm that day and discovered a Lidl shopping bag under the front passenger seat containing blocks of white powder.
The bag was concealed in a compartment beneath the seat, and Campbell, the sole occupant of the van, was arrested. His iPhone was confiscated, but he declined to disclose the pin.
During the journey to a police station in Llanelli, Campbell was heard saying, “I’ve been stitched up.” A digital scale with traces of white powder was found in a wardrobe at his residence.
An examination of the bag contents unveiled a large package labeled “Elite” holding a kilo of cocaine at 84% purity, a half-kilo block at 68% purity, and a 123g block at 65% purity. The estimated wholesale value of the drugs was £33,000, with a potential street value of up to £187,700.
In police questioning, Campbell confessed to agreeing to act as a courier for an acquaintance from DPD. He received £250 for picking up a package in Swansea’s Ravenhill area and delivering it to a specified address in Saundersfoot.
Campbell acknowledged knowing that the bag contained money or drugs as he was aware the individual was involved in drug dealing. He admitted that the scales found in his house were used by him and his girlfriend to portion drugs they bought for music festivals.
Having previously pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, Campbell, residing in Swansea, had no prior convictions but had police cautions for common assault and battery.
Defense attorney Matt Murphy described Campbell as having an impeccable record but highlighted the impact of his military service on his mental health. Financial struggles led him to make regrettable decisions and associate with the wrong people.
Judge Geraint Walters noted that Campbell had acted on others’ instructions and had been entrusted with valuable cargo, sentencing him to 32 months in prison.
