Largest Ever Cocaine Haul in Essex

Two men from south Essex have today (Monday) appeared in court after Essex Police recovered their largest-ever cocaine haul.

A six-month-long investigation came to a conclusion on Saturday, October 6 when Richard Gamon was arrested on the A12 near Ardleigh and Luke Shubert was arrested at a bungalow on Carlton Road in Bowers Gifford.

In the vehicle that Richard Gamon was driving in, officers recovered 16 kilogrammes of cocaine which was in addition to eight kilogrammes that they recovered the previous night in Beckton, east London.

The arrests bring to an end a policing operation which involved the similarly-armed arrest of Toby Jones in Waltham Abbey in early September and the recovery of £250,000 from the 28-year-old plumber’s house in Epping.

Richard Gamon, a 29-year-old builder from Link Road on Canvey Island, and 30-year-old stonemason Luke Shubert from Pound Lane in Bowers Gifford were both charged on Sunday, October 7 with one count of conspiring to supply a Class A drug. They were both detained in police custody prior to their appearances at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Monday, October 8.

Richard Gamon was remanded in court custody while Luke Shubert was released on court bail prior to their appearances at Chelmsford Crown Court.