Police trapped drugs dealer

DRUG dealer Martin Quince was trapped by police after he sold heroin to undercover officers in the centre of Ely. The 25-year-old from Wisbech Road, Littleport, traded with a detective in the city s High Flyer pub and sold heroin to a female officer as th

DRUG dealer Martin Quince was trapped by police after he sold heroin to undercover officers in the centre of Ely.

The 25-year-old from Wisbech Road, Littleport, traded with a detective in the city's High Flyer pub and sold heroin to a female officer as they posed as customers.

A third officer handed over £30 for crack cocaine, but never received the drugs.

Quince, who had served time in a young offender institution for supplying his girlfriend with a fatal dose of methadone eight years ago, was arrested on December 12 as part of a major drugs bust in Ely.

Quince was jailed for four years by Cambridge Crown Court after he admitted two charges of supply and intent to supply heroin and one of offering to supply crack cocaine.

In mitigation, the court heard that Quince used heroin himself but did not sell drugs on a commercial basis.

In 1999 Quince, then aged 17, was sentenced to 16 months in a young offender institution after he shared a methadone needle with his girlfriend who subsequently died.

Cambridgeshire Police Detective Chief Inspector Gary Ridgeway, who led the operation which resulted in Quince's arrest, said: "This demonstrates our commitment to tackle drug dealers, particularly those involved in Class A drugs.

"I hope that this sentence delivers a clear message to the drug community that we will take positive action and act as a wake-up call to drug users that now is the time for them to seek treatment through the community drug teams and drug intervention programmes.