Six firearms and £250,000 of drugs discovered at Southampton house
Two men have been sentenced to prison after £250,000 worth of cocaine and heroin and six firearms were discovered at a house.
The court also heard how he was supported by Stuart Marcus Forrest, 24, of Lyburn Close in Southampton, and Steven and Suezanne Forrest, 56 and 48, of Cromer Road in Southampton.
Officers from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Western Serious and Organised Crime Unit launched an investigation into the activity of Alexander and his co-defendants in January 2021. Police officers carried out a warrant at an address on Old Redbridge Road.
Six firearms, including three double barrel sawn-off shotguns and three revolvers, were discovered inside the house, as well as heroin and cocaine worth a street value of approximately a quarter of a million pounds.
Chris Douglas, Southampton Chief Inspector, said: “Offenders who traffic and peddle drugs around Southampton and across the UK don’t care about the harm they bring to our communities or the lives that are destroyed by addiction.
“The sentencing of Alexander and his co-defendants sends out a clear message that the activities of those who think that they can bring illegal drugs into our city will not be tolerated.”
Alexander already pleaded guilty at earlier hearings to Operation Venetic charges including attempting to acquire a prohibited firearm, attempting to acquire ammunition without a firearm certificate, attempting to possess ammunition when prohibited, and to six counts of being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine.
He further pleaded guilty to additional counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin and conspiracy to transfer criminal property. He was found not guilty by the jury of conspiracy to possess a firearm without a firearm certificate and conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms.
Steven Forrest and Suezanne Forrest were found guilty of conspiring to supply heroin and cocaine and conspiring to transfer criminal property.
Stuart Marcus Forrest had already previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin, conspiracy to possess a prohibited firearm, conspiracy to possess a firearm without a certificate, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
Alexander and Stuart Forrest appeared at Southampton Crown Court yesterday (Monday, October 7), where they were sentenced to 15 years and 14 years in prison.
Chief Inspector Douglas added: “Tackling drug related harm is an absolute priority for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, as the supply of drugs is often connected to other offences such as high levels of violence, or even the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable adults and children, which is why we relentlessly pursue those involved.
“If you are involved in activity like this, we will find you and bring you to justice.
“We continue to encourage anyone who has information about drugs supply in their neighbourhood to report this to us, as this helps us build up an overall picture of the issues affecting your area.”