A LONG-running investigation into a Class A drug dealer from York has resulted in a near six-year prison sentence.

Daniel Richard Arthur, aged 33, of Langwith Stray, Heslington, was jailed for five years and ten months at York Crown Court on Monday this week.

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He had previously pleaded guilty to the importation, offering to supply and attempting to possess the Class A controlled drug MDMA – more commonly known as Ecstasy - between February 14, 2017 and October 14, 2018.

Arthur was involved in ordering large amounts of MDMA tablets from the Netherlands.

Unfortunately for him, the Border Force intercepted two shipments at Heathrow on September 21 and 7 November 7, 2018.

250 tablets were seized in the first and 102 tablets in the second.

The Northern Echo:

Daniel Richard Arthur has been jailed

Detectives in York were able to trace the packages to Arthur’s home address where further MDMA tablets were recovered.

He was arrested and a complex investigation was launched to secure the charges against him.

Throughout this time, Arthur refused to provide the access code to his phone which delayed the gathering of crucial evidence.

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Digital forensic experts had to work around this hurdle to obtain records of the defendant, and this proved pivotal in securing the charges against him.

Detective Constable Darren May, who led the investigation, said: “The outcome at court is very satisfying and demonstrates the collaborative efforts between the Border Force and North Yorkshire Police to take action against Class A drug dealers such as Daniel Arthur.

“He maintained that he was supplying the drugs to an immediate group of friends and work colleagues, and not to the wider public.

“The court did not accept Arthur’s version of events as the evidence overwhelmingly showed that he was a commercial dealer of Ecstasy.

“Drugs wreck lives and taking Ecstasy can have fatal consequences, sometimes following the consumption of just one pill.

“We will not stand by and allow this to happen.”

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