Hilton Watford Hotel £500k cannabis bust sees man jailed

Roberto Martinez, of Huntingdon Park in California, appeared at the Inner London Crown Court this morning (September 27) for sentencing over the drug bust at the Hilton London Watford Hotel in Elton Way on April 4.

The 33-year-old was arrested alongside two others with large amounts of the class B drug and around £5,000 in cash, according to the City of London Police. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the hotel.

Roberto Martinez was jailed this morning. (Image: City of London Police) Photos shared by the force show golden packages of the "multiple strains of hybrid Californian cannabis" stuffed inside suitcases.

Three people have been brought before the courts over the drug bust. (Image: City of London Police)

He had previously admitted on May 8 to the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of class B drug and was today jailed for two years.

Martinez had also denied possession of cannabis with intent to supply, but the charge was not taken forward by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Martinez was jailed at the Inner London Crown Court this morning. (Image: Wikimedia/Stephen Richards) Luke French, of Moat Lane in Birmingham, also appeared this morning having pleaded guilty on May 29 to importing cannabis into the UK, but his sentencing was adjourned until October 28.

City of London Police found drugs packed into suitcases. (Image: City of London Police) The 35-year-old was also denied possession of cannabis with intent to supply, but court files state the CPS did not proceed with prosecuting him over it.

The third person who was arrested in the bust, Joanne Parkes, of Benedon Road in Birmingham, also appeared at the Inner London Crown earlier this week.

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Parkes had admitted possession of a class A drug, namely cocaine, but denied importation of cannabis, possession of the class B drug with intent to supply and possession of criminal property, namely the £5,000 in cash.

After a four-day trial which concluded yesterday (September 26), the jury found the 47-year-old not guilty on three counts, and she was sentenced for only the cocaine charge.

Parkes was handed a 12-month conditional discharge, meaning she will not face any punishment unless she reoffends within the time period, as well as a £26 victim surcharge and the forfeiture and destruction of the cocaine.

At the time of the arrests, Detective Superintendent Richard Waight of the City of London Police said it was a "significant haul".

“Drugs in London severely impacts our communities, drives violence and organised crime and can lead to vulnerable people being exploited,” he added. “City of London Police are committed to bringing organised crime groups to justice and making our streets safer.”