Drug-dealer found with 16 crack cocaine wraps in waistband

A county lines drug-dealer who was found in possession of 16 wraps of crack cocaine has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Police officers who visited a hostel in Spring Road, Ipswich, arrested Zaki Ercole and another man.

When officers started to search him, he offered to assist them and removed a package containing the wraps from his waistband, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Ercole, 21, of Valley Gardens, Findon, West Sussex,  admitted being concerned in the supply of class A drugs in 2017 and was given an eight month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 140 hours unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £200 prosecution costs.

Sentencing him, Judge Emma Peters said said he had been involved in county lines drug-dealing.

She said he had an unattractive criminal record but had turned his life around after being reconciled with his father since his arrest.

Steven Dyble, for Ercole, said his client was doing incredibly well on an apprenticeship and hadn’t reoffended since the offence.

He said his Ercole’s youth and naivety had been taken advantage of by others..