A driver caught with £4m-worth of cocaine in the back of his van has been jailed for nine years today [16 January], following a joint National Crime Agency (NCA) and police investigation.

Stephen Phillips, 56, of St Helens, Merseyside was driving up the M6 with the high-value drugs when he was stopped by Cheshire Police traffic officers, on 16 October 2025.

The officers searched the back of his van, finding three cardboard boxes within. Inside two of the boxes, the officers discovered blocks of what they suspected to be Class A drugs.

Phillips, who it is believed had been driving to his home county at the time of the stop, was subsequently arrested and taken into custody at a Merseyside police station.

Officers from Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership (OCP) – a joint NCA and Merseyside Police team dedicated to tackling serious and organised crime in the county – led the investigation.

Forensic analysis of the suspected drugs revealed it was 40kg of cocaine, with a street value of up to £4m.

Phillips was charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine.

He pleaded guilty on 24 November 2025 at Liverpool Crown Court, where he was today sentenced.

Det Chief Insp Tony Roberts, of Merseyside OCP, said: “I have no doubt that if we had not seized this cocaine, it would have been sold on the streets of Merseyside and beyond, likely fuelling violence, anti-social behaviour, and potentially endangering lives.“Merseyside Police and the National Crime Agency work extremely closely with other police forces to keep the county safe from serious and organised crime. I thank Cheshire Police for their invaluable assistance with this particular investigation.”

16 January 2026