Jamie Elkin, 37, from Castle Bromwich, and Lewis Lacey, 31, from Castle Vale, were arrested following a West Midlands Police investigation that exposed their large-scale drug operation.
Elkin was detained outside a storage unit on Kingsbury Road in April 2022 with one kilogram of cocaine, valued at up to £45,000. Officers also seized more than £50,000 in cash from the unit. The drugs were handed to him moments earlier by Lacey, according to police.
Further raids were carried out in July that year at two additional storage units used by Lacey in the Minworth area, as well as at his home in Castle Vale.
During the searches, police discovered half a kilogram of cocaine and crack cocaine, £38,820 in cash, numerous bags for packaging drugs, and luxury items including a Rolex watch worth £11,800. Officers also seized £16,500 in cash, two stolen Audis, a stolen motorbike, a jet ski, scales, and tools used to steal vehicles.
Lacey, of Chigwell Close, admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of criminal property, and handling stolen goods. He was sentenced to seven years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court on 16 October.
Elkin, of Hawthorn Road, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to supply. He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison.
Detective Inspector Amar Patel, from the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit, said:
“These were two significant seizures of cash and drugs that would have gone on to cause harm and misery on the streets of the West Midlands.
The quantities involved clearly show the pair were operating at a wholesale level. Lacey was unemployed on paper but living far beyond his means. A detailed investigation using CCTV, mobile phone analysis, and other techniques has now ensured they are behind bars.”
Police said the operation formed part of Operation Target, which focuses on disrupting serious and organised crime including drugs, firearms, money laundering, and exploitation across the region.
