Man jailed for possessing firearm and up to £24,000 of cocaine

A Southampton man has been jailed for possessing a firearm and large quantities of cocaine

Kiran Porter, 25, from Honeysuckle Road, Southampton, appeared at Southampton Crown Court on 11 August.

Porter had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a firearm – a gun, a silencer and one round of ammunition – possession with intent to supply a class A drug – cocaine, possession with intent to supply cannabis and possession of a class A drug – cocaine.

He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison.

At 12.50pm on 5 July, 2021, officers on patrol stopped a grey Mercedes car in Laburnum Road.

Porter, who was driving the Mercedes, stepped out of the vehicle to give one of the officers his details. He then reached through an open window, grabbed a drawstring bag and ran from police.

He was detained nearby soon after and the drawstring bag was seized.

Inside was a pistol with a silencer and a box of 50 9mm bullets, and a quantity of cocaine believed to have a street value of up to £24,000.

Porter was under investigation for another drug-related incident when this occurred.

On 22 July, 2020, officers searched Porter’s address and found £80,200 in cash in a holdall in his bedroom wardrobe. In the kitchen cupboard, they found around 130g of chemical agents commonly found mixed with cocaine.

These items were seized along with 0.77g of cocaine, a further £600 in cash, a cannabis plant and five mobile phones.

The phones were examined and showed evidence he was involved in drug supply, asking customers to use payment references such as ‘fridge freezer’.

The judge also ordered for the drugs and firearms to be destroyed.

DC Hollie Cartwright from the Serious Organised Crime Unit said: “Porter is a dangerous individual and by taking him, a large quantity of Class A drugs and a gun off the streets, Southampton is a safer place.

“Drug supply, firearms and serious violence come hand in hand, which is why reducing drug-related harm is one of our top priorities in Southampton.

“I hope our investigation shows that we will do all in our power to protect our communities and encourages members of the public to report any drug related activity to us.”

To report, call police on 101 or online at https://www.hampshire.police.uk/

Alternatively people can contact Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/