Police searched the west London family home of a drug dealer who was found in possession of a stolen painting worth £1 million.
Officers found a quantity of class A drugs and £40,000 at the house in Fulham , after searching another property owned by Harry Fisher, 28.
He was jailed for eight years and eight months on Friday (October 20).
Detectives in the Met’s Organised Crime Command arrested Fisher of Seven Kings Way in Kingston, on June 15, after they stopped a Mercedes in a residential road in Strood, Kent.
From the courts
Officers carried out a drugs search of the vehicle and found one kilogram of cocaine and £30,000 in cash.
Passenger Zak Lal, from Columbine Road in Strood, Rochester, was also arrested.
Police searched both their properties later that same day and found three kilograms of cocaine and 15,000 ecstasy tablets at Fisher’s flat.
The painting, Cookham from Englefield by English artist Sir Stanley Spencer, was also found during the search and was later identified as one stolen from the Stanley Spencer art gallery in 2012.
Fisher’s family address in Fulham was also searched and police found a further quantity of class A drugs and £40,000 in cash.
A search of 32-year-old Lal’s family address revealed £2,000 in cash and a number of cheap, disposable mobile phones.
He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and acquiring criminal property.
Lal also admitted possession of an offensive weapon after he was found with a knife at the time of his arrest.
He was jailed for five years and eight months at the same hearing at Kingston Crown Court .
Fisher admitted to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and acquiring criminal property.
In total the drugs had a street value of £450,000.
Detective Inspector Andy Whitewood, of the Met’s Organised Crime Command, said: “These two men were caught in possession of a considerable amount of class A drugs as the result of a proactive investigation targeting high end, organised drug supply.
“A search of Fisher’s address revealed a stolen £1m painting, this demonstrates the link between drugs trafficking and serious, acquisitive crime.
“I am pleased to say that the painting has now been returned to the art gallery from where it was stolen. The guilty pleas entered by both men were due to the weight of the evidence against them and are a testimony to the depth of the investigation.
He added: “The sentences handed to these defendants should act as a deterrent to anyone else involved in the supply of illegal drugs.”
A spokesman for the art gallery said: “The Stanley Spencer Gallery volunteers are immensely grateful to the various police sections who have contributed to the recovery of this remarkable painting, which was stolen from us more than five years ago.”
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