A drug dealer was jailed after being stopped with £3 million worth of cocaine in the boot of his smart car despite, having a magnet-controlled secret compartment under his seat.
Sam Migliorini, 32, was driving a grey smart car when he was pulled over by police between junction 24 and 25 on the M25 as part of a proactive operation.
After being taken to a nearby car park, police discovered a large black holdall bag containing 30 one kilogram blocks of cocaine labelled 'C.E.N.G - Cartel Ecuador Nueva Generacion', one of the most violent drug cartels in Mexico.
Migliorini was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Class A drug (cocaine) with intent to supply and taken to a police station in east London.
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The smart car was then moved to a secure location so it could be thoroughly searched.
A sophisticated hideaway, which ran the width of the car underneath the front passenger seat and driver's seat was discovered.
But the secret compartment, operated via a magnet being placed on the centre console below the gearstick, which lifted up the front passenger seat, was empty.
Two sets of keys and an encrypted mobile phone were also found in Migliorini's possession when he was arrested on 1 October.
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One was a Mercedes car key and the other police suspected was a safe key.
When officers carried out a search warrant at Migliorini's home address in Barking, east London, they spotted a grey Mercedes leaving the property.
The car was later discovered abandoned on Shaw Avenue, not far from the house.
The Mercedes key which had been found on Migliorini predictably opened the car, allowing officers to conduct a search.
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A safe containing around £15,000 in cash was discovered after police were able to open it with the other key.
Migliorini was further arrested for possession of criminal property.
During his police interview, he answered no comment to all questions, before being charged on Friday, 2 October.
He was sentenced to eight years and three months after pleading guilty to possession of a Class A drug (cocaine) with intent to supply at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 23 December.
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Detective Sergeant Gemma Brown said: "This was a significant seizure of Class A drugs and this a great example of how officers are tirelessly working to disrupt the supply of drugs.
"The people who are involved in the supply of drugs clearly have very little regard for the chaos of violence that comes with it.
"Seizures such as this stop drugs reaching the streets of London, where they have the potential to cause great harm to people and communities.
"Criminals who think they can use things such as hides and encrypted devices to evade capture are wrong - you will be caught and brought to justice."
Featured Image Credit: SWNS