Essex cocaine dealer jailed after officers uncovered £10k of the drug during stop and search
He's been jailed for nearly four years
Last updated 2nd May 2025
An Essex cocaine dealer’s large-scale operation was uncovered after stop and search in Harlow left officers shocked at the sheer amount of drugs and money the man had.
A local policing team officer was carrying out an area search on 11 February this year linked to an unrelated matter.
He spotted two men engaged in a potential drug deal.
23-year-old Marshall Bartram was then detained for a search:
Bartram confessed to the officer he was carrying cocaine and was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.
A large sum of cash – suspected to be as much as £10,000 – as well as more than 160g of cocaine were recovered.
A nearby address in Harlow linked to Bartram was searched and further cash and a large brick of cocaine were seized.
Bartram, of no fixed address, was charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession of criminal property, charges he admitted in March.
Appearing for sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court earlier this month, he was sentenced to three years and ten months’ imprisonment.
Detective Inspector Richard Trower, of Op Raptor West, said:
“Our teams often work closely with our local and neighbourhood policing officers to bring drug dealers blighting our towns and cities to justice.
“This was a significant sentence for someone with no prior convictions and of a relatively young age.
“The strength of the sentence shows how seriously the courts will take drug dealing, particularly when such large quantities of cash and drugs are involved.
“Bartram clearly thought he could live beyond his means by selling harmful Class A drugs and fuelling wider crime in Harlow.
“He’s been proven wholly wrong. He’ll instead spend the next few years in prison and will have to live with a criminal conviction.
“There’s little room for drug dealers to operate in Essex.”
Further action under the Proceeds of Crime Act will be taken against Bartram to recover as much of his criminal profit as possible.