A DRUG dealer from Oldham who was caught with a stash of crack cocaine hidden inside a box of jalapeno peppers has been jailed.

Detectives have welcomed the sentence for 20-year-old Kayne Kennedy, who was said to have been part of a hard drugs supply chain between Greater Manchester and North Cheshire.

Kennedy was leaving a cafe in Warrington on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 2019, when he was stopped by two police officers.

But the 20-year-old attempted to run away and threw a box of jalapenos he was holding to the floor.

A total of 36 wraps of crack cocaine were found inside the box, and the class A drugs had an estimated street value of £360.

Kennedy, who was seen on CCTV buying the jalapenos from the café earlier, is believed to have been a drugs runner for a so-called county lines drugs gang.

He is originally from the Harpurhey area of Manchester but has been living in Copster Hill for some time.

Kennedy was jailed for 30 months at Liverpool Crown Court last Friday after admitting to possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply.

Det Sgt Tom Hall, of Cheshire Police, said: “Kennedy is a very nasty criminal who would transport crack cocaine from Oldham to be supplied in Warrington.

“We are fully aware of criminals like him who come into our town with the sole purpose of supplying class A drugs and we are taking positive action to disrupt their activity.

“I want to take this opportunity to encourage residents to keep spotting the signs of drug activity and to come forward to report it if they believe it is happening in their community.”