Mateus Parente made a desperate attempt to conceal the drugs after the car he was driving had been stopped by plain clothes police patrols. But the hapless dealer allowed more than 40 street deals of cocaine to fall from his underwear when he was stripped searched by officers in custody.
His grey Mazda rental vehicle was initially followed by police on 27th March 2025, amid suspicions it was linked to the supply of cocaine in the town.
Parente entered a car park in Southborough and after realising he was being approached by police and was seen through the driver’s window leaning towards the front console with his hands reaching his waistband. Officers from the Tunbridge Wells Neighbourhood Taskforce detained him for a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This led to the initial seizure of £200 in cash and a single vial of cocaine from a sock within the driver’s door.
A strip search was then carried out in custody, where a black sock fell from Parente’s underwear which contained a further 42 vials of cocaine. Further evidence was found on his phone including postcode of users he was delivering to, as well as a photo which showed one of the vials in his hand.
Parente, 26, of Limes Road, Croydon pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to charges of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and driving without insurance. On 24th June, he was sentenced to two years and two months’ imprisonment.
Detective Constable Matt Kujtkowski said ‘Parente is another dealer from outside of Kent who wrongly thought he could operate in Tunbridge Wells, without consequence. We know criminals like him will continue to target our neighbourhoods but I’d like to reassure residents we will continue to deal robustly with anyone involved in the supply of drugs, to ensure that they get the punishment they deserve. There will be no let up.’
