Man from Liverpool jailed after £1million in cash and drugs found in his home

A driver who was stopped for not wearing a seatbelt has been jailed for seven years after the incident led officers to the discovery of more than £1million in cash and a kilo of cocaine at his home.

Daniel Dunne 28, of Greenbank Drive, in Liverpool, was driving a Nissan Qashqai without a seatbelt and was therefore stopped by officers on Lindfield Close on Thursday 20 June 2024.

As he exited the car, a small wrap of white powder, suspected to be cocaine, fell from the driver's seat and £600 in cash was found inside the vehicle.

This led to officers searching an address linked to Dunne and within the property was £1,066,382 in cash, around a kilo of cocaine, weighing scales and a machine used to count cash. The cash was hidden around the property, including inside plastic bags and empty boxes of Cadbury Heroes boxes.

Dunne was sentenced to seven years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday 21 March, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply a controlled Class A drug (cocaine) and acquiring/using/possessing criminal property.

The £1,066,382 was the subject of a Proceeds of Crime hearing at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 3 September 2024 when it was ruled that the cash was recoverable property. As a result, it will be sent to the Home Office and a proportion will be available to Merseyside Police for policing purposes, such as community initiatives to help prevent crime in our communities.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Dalton said: “What began as a relatively simple road stop because a driver was not wearing a seatbelt turned into a large-scale investigation into drugs supply. This led to the seizure of more than £1million in cash, despite the efforts of Dunne to initially distance himself from the money.

“We know all too well how drugs cause widespread misery and devastation in our communities and we are committed to stamping it out and bringing offenders to justice.

“I hope this result shows that our officers remain committed to pursuing people who think they are above the law and believe they can evade justice.

“We will continue to target criminals like Dunne by thoroughly examining any evidence and carrying out any necessary searches across Merseyside.”

Anyone with information on drug dealing is asked to contact @MerPolCC, or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.