Police find guns and huge drug haul after searching car in Widnes

A call was made to Cheshire Police at 12.54pm on Saturday, May 27 last year reporting that a man had assaulted a woman outside of his home address in Widnes.

Enquiries established that immediately after assaulting the woman, Joseph Bassey began to move a number of suspicious-looking bags from his garage into his white Skoda Superb.

Officers attended the address and the 39-year-old was arrested at 1.25pm. He had moved his vehicle to a nearby street, which officers subsequently located.

Following a search of that vehicle, it was packed with illegal drugs and firearms.

From the vehicle, officers recovered more than 4kg of MDMA, as well as supply amounts of amphetamine and ketamine, and a large bag of cocaine.

The total value of drugs seized had an estimated street value of more than £60,000.

The vehicle also contained a black handgun, loaded revolver, ammunition and shotgun cartridges.

Joseph Bassey was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

Items recovered from a subsequent house search included a tablet press, a money counting machine and body armour.

Bassey, of Hale Gate Road in Widnes, was later charged with four charges of possessing a firearm, possession with intent to supply MDMA and cocaine, possessing criminal property and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He appeared before Liverpool Crown Court this week where he was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison.

The sentence was welcomed by DI Lee Connor, who led the investigation, said: “Bassey is an extremely dangerous individual who thought that he was above the law.

“He tried to cover his tracks in fear of getting caught, but thankfully our officers were one step ahead.

“The destruction that these weapons are likely to have caused is immeasurable, and they have absolutely no place here in Cheshire.

“Not only that, but a large quantity of class A drugs have also been removed from our town, and the man responsible has been put behind bars.

“I hope that the sentence handed down by the courts acts as a reminder to those who, like Bassey, feel they too are above the law – we will always be one step ahead and you will face the same fate.

“I also hope this result provides some reassurance to the community, that criminals such as this have no place in Widnes, and anyone with any concerns relating to drugs or firearms should contact Cheshire Police immediately.”