As he drives back into Trentbridge, he will be followed by two of the unmarked police cars taking it in turns to avoid being detected.
Five minutes later, the two men inside the café shake hands as if they are businessmen concluding a deal, which is indeed accurate. However, the goods being traded are highly illegal class A drugs.
Once Dave has paid and collected the receipt, Rachel watches as they both walk out of the building. She then walks through to the hotel kitchen and uses her police radio to contact HQ and update them. These details are immediately passed onto all six unmarked police vehicles and DCI Andy Quinn who is the Senior Officer leading this case.
Dave gets into his black Mercedes and starts the journey to meet his associate at a small lock-up garage he rents in Trentbridge. The Volvo with the two Russians also leaves the car park. Neither of the undercover police vehicles in the motel car park moves. They will hang back and let their colleagues sitting in a layby about one mile along the road take the lead. They will follow up in a while and then will take it in turns to stay close to the target vehicles so as not to arouse suspicion.
A further two of the unmarked police vehicles are following Dave’s Mercedes on his six mile journey to a block of garages. The two police vehicles that have been following Dave’s assistant are parked out of sight.
Once Dave arrives and enters the lock-up, four officers make their way on foot to the corner of the block of units and with the aid of small mirrors on a stick they are able to peer around the corner. They can see which garage it looks like the drugs are being unloaded into.
The details of what they have seen are relayed to HQ, and DCI Quinn makes the decision and gives the order for the four undercover Officers to move in, arrest the suspects and take charge of any items which can be used as evidence.
Two of the four police officers on the scene are authorised to carry firearms and are indeed ‘tooled up’ for this operation. They take off their coats and put on flak jackets with the word ‘police’ written in large letters. They don’t anticipate any problems but you never can tell with ruthless criminals, especially where drugs are concerned.
All four quietly and carefully make their way along to the open garage and then make their presence felt with loud cries of “Armed police officers! Put your hands above your heads!”
Both men turn round ready for action but when they see guns being aimed directly at them they both comply with the command. They are immediately joined by a further four uniformed police officers and both men are placed in handcuffs and carefully read their rights. “You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in Court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”
Dave’s face drops. He’s going to need his lawyer if he’s got a chance to get out of this. If not, maybe he can cut a deal.
Chapter Forty-Nine
DAVE
After being arrested at the lock-up garage, and a large quantity of cocaine being found in his possession, Dave is not feeling very happy.
He has made the wise decision for his solicitor, Mark Jackson, to be present when he is questioned but the interview has taken over an hour. No matter how much he protests his innocence and tries to put the blame on his associate, the police are having none of it. It looks like he is in the frame and the sentence for such a large quantity of Class A drugs will see him being sent to prison for a very long time.
“Of course, if you can supply us with details of your suppliers and work with us, we can have a quiet word with the judge and let him know. Or if you have some really juicy stuff for us we could put you into the Witness Protection Programme. The people you’re involved with might not care if you’ve given us any information or not. They could decide to resolve the problem just to be on the safe side. And at the moment their biggest problem is you!”
Dave is chewing over all the options in his mind. For a lot of people who go into the Witness Protection Programme it can be difficult because they have a wife and kids, but Dave only has his dear old mum. Perhaps he can take her with him.
If he sells his apartment and the cash he has tucked away he’ll have about two million pounds. The villa in Spain will need to be sold as it’s in his name and anyone looking for him would soon find it. For around £10,000 he can have plastic surgery and look totally different, especially if he loses some weight and has a hair transplant which will dramatically change his appearance. No one will be able to find him. He will see to that…
The interview ends for Dave to have a break and think about his options. He is put back into the police cell to be held overnight. He is under arrest and the police are
