A drug supplier has been sentenced to five years in prison after he was arrested trying to smuggle amphetamines into Bolton in a delivery of conifer trees at Holland Nurseries.
Stephen Waite from Welling, Kent was arrested after the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), working with the Belgian Federal Police and the Dutch National Crime Squad, was tipped off that a large consignment of drugs had been smuggled into the UK was being taken to a garden centre in Bolton.

Surveillance teams watched 14 garden centres in the area during the operation in June before spotting Mr Waite arriving at Holland Nurseries in Bromley Cross in an HGV vehicle.

The pallets of conifer trees were unloaded and Mr Waite and a Dutch HGV driver were arrested as they drove out of the centre on Darwen Road. Police discovered around 20kg of amphetamine, with a street value of £20m, and 20kg of cannabis resin in the conifer delivery.

Mr Waite pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply amphetamine and cannabis and to possession of cocaine. He was sentenced to five years in prison at a hearing at Bolton Crown Court.