A WEST Cumbrian drugs criminal illegally imported 15 kilos of the Class B drug known as plant food from China.

The secret importation operation run by 57-year-old Stephen Lowrey in the Whitehaven area was discovered after UK Border Force officials at Stansted Airport intercepted a suspicious package that was bound for his home.

Inside it was a four-kilo 'high purity' consignment of the drug dibutylone, otherwise known as plant food, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

That intervention in 2018 led to a major Cumbria Police investigation, which revealed how Lowrey – with help from at least four other people – had imported a total of 15 kilos of the drug in less than two years.

The defendant, of Coronation Crescent, Distington, initially denied wrongdoing, claiming that he had simply stored the drug in his shed and then passed it on.

But on the second day of his crown court trial he changed his plea to guilty.

He admitted the fraudulent evasion of an importation ban on the Class B drug.

The court heard that Border Force investigators at Stansted Airport intercepted the suspicious package that was bound for Lowrey’s address on June 23, 2018. The drug was found to be 99 per cent pure.

Judge Barker said the investigation revealed how Lowrey was involved in 'recruiting' other people in the drugs operation.

Police found incriminating evidence when they raided the Bait Kabin sandwich shop at Distington, finding some £20,000 which had been wrapped in sandwich bags.

Initially, the defendant claimed this was the proceeds from gambling. The investigation revealed there had been some 93 transactions connected to the illicit drugs business linked to Lowrey’s bank account.

Some £102,000 had passed through the account in a 20-month period. Prosecutor Kim Whittlestone said the defendant had relevant offending history. It included a conviction in 2013 for possessing amphetamine with intent to supply.

Anthony Parkinson, defending, said the defendant admitted the offence on the second day of his trial because it took that long for the reality of his situation to sink in.

Judge Nicholas Barker said of the initial plant food seizure: “That was destined for to go to you at your home address and it was found to be of 99 per cent purity.

“It had been purchased, it would seem, from China.

“That led police to undertake an investigation which then turned up that you were involved in recruiting others to engage in money transfers to China – which I am fully satisfied was for the purchasing of some quantities of dibutylone...

“The activity you were involved in was not a single event. It occurred on numerous occasions and extended over 20 months.

“It appears to have generated and involved the significant movement of monies, both from this country and to the vendors of this drug in China.”

The judge that the defendant was given a ten-month suspended sentence order in 2013 for possession with intent to supply of amphetamine.

Taking all factors into account, the judge jailed Lowrey for 55 months.

The defendant – wearing a green T-shirt with bearing pictures of skulls and the logo BEAST, showed no emotion as he was led away.

Four other defendants who were involved in the offending will be sentenced today at Carlisle Crown Court. Lowrey formerly lived in Whitehaven.

A Proceeds of Crime hearing will be held at a later date to decide what assets the court can claw back from Lowrey as a result of his offending.