Blackpool couple's home was used to count criminal cash, press drugs and package them

Preston Crown Court heard police recovered cocaine, cannabis, and amphetamine drugs during searches of a car, house and garage, and sophisticated equipment including a drugs press, the cutting agent boric acid, a vacuum packing device, a cocaine testing kit, rolls of plastic, a machine press, a money counting machine, gloves, ticklists, and mobile phones.

Bartlomiej Mroczek, 35, formerly of Chislehurst Avenue, Blackpool, admitted possession of cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply, possession of criminal property, and obstructing police and was jailed for nine years and nine months.

Paulina Twardowska, 27, of the same address, admitted permitting premises to be used to supply drugs and allowing her bank account to be used for criminal purposes, and got 200 hours of unpaid work with a rehabilitation requirement.

The court heard Mroczek, who has six convictions in Poland including drug offences, was already wanted on a European arrest warrant when suspicious officers stopped him in Twardowska's grey Mercedes on the M62 on July 17.

Prosecuting, Jon Close, said officers found 2.01kg of cocaine, compressed into blocks with a purity of 91%, valued at £140,000 on the streets, and 3kg cannabis worth £24,000.

He added: "Mr Mroczek was uncooperative with officers at the scene, initially supplying a false name but a fingerprint check revealed his true identity - and that he was also subject to a European arrest warrant for related offending."

At 3.50pm on the same day officers attended Chiselhurst Drive to conduct a search.

Later a bank statement for Twardowska, who had claimed she was a cleaner, showed £22,000 was deposited in just a month between December 2019 to January 2020.

Addressing Twodorwska, Judge Andrew Jefferies QC said: "There can be no doubt you must fully well have realised what he was up to, and turned a blind eye to what he was doing, no doubt benefiting from the financial rewards."

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