November 20, 2020 12.43 pm This story is over 43 months old

Lincoln drug dealer jailed for four and a half years

Not his first rodeo
Benjamin Ip, 29, has been jailed for four and a half years. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A drug dealer caught with a stash of cocaine and thousands of pounds in cash was jailed on Friday for four and a half years at Lincoln Crown Court.

Benjamin Ip was already on bail accused of a previous drug dealing offence when police stopped him in Vere Street in Lincoln, after he parked up near to his home on August 7 this year.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said that officers found 189g of cocaine on him and £8,500 cash.

Mr Scott told the court that the cocaine had a street sale value of up to £20,000.

A mobile phone found on Ip contained messages showing he was dealing drugs, including one sent as a round-robin text to 100 contacts announcing he had cocaine for sale.

“The officers also seized electronic scales and ziplock bags. The defendant was interviewed and made no comment.”

Mr Scott said that at the time Ip was on bail having previously been arrested at an Air BnB in Doddington where he was staying. Officers found three rocks of ecstasy containing a total of 17.8gs of the drug.

The prosecutor said that Ip was also under investigation for another drug dealing matter having been arrested in November 2018 when his car was stopped by police on Washingborough Road in Lincoln.

On that occasion he was searched and 48 dealer bags of cocaine were found in his underwear. More drugs were found and £9,400 cash.

Ip, 29 of Vere Street, Lincoln, admitted possession of drugs with intent to supply on August 7 and possession with intent to supply and possession of criminal property on July 7.

He asked for two further offences of possession of drugs with intent to supply and one of possession of criminal property as a result of his arrest on November 24, 2018.

Sunil Khanna, in mitigation, said Ip began experimenting with drugs and then became addicted to them.

Ip, he said, went on to sell drugs to fund his habit and then for a profit.

“He began contributing towards the family in the hope that it would help his father not work so hard. His father and the family were not aware of what he was doing. They thought he was working hard on building sites.”