A DRUG dealer was caught out when police found pictures of him holding wads of cash on his mobile phone.

Glen Hodgins was stopped by police on the A21 at Flimwell, near Ticehurst, and told officers he had been shopping at the Bluewater shopping centre and was on his way home to Hastings.

Police decided to search the 32-year-old carpenter’s vehicle after they noticed a slight smell of cannabis, and found 3kg of the class B drug.

The herbal cannabis had been stashed inside three large plastic vacuum bags which were hidden inside a plastic laundry bag.

Officers arrested Hodgins at the scene and seized a black iPhone from the driver’s door pocket of the vehicle.

A Samsung mobile phone was also taken from his home address, where £1,600 in cash was found.

After examining the phones police found extensive messaging relating to the distribution and sale of cocaine.

Photos on the phones also showed Hodgins holding large amounts of cash.

Hodgins was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of cocaine based on this evidence, even though no Class A drugs were found in his vehicle in February 2018, when he was arrested.

He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment at Brighton Crown Court on Tuesday, January 14 following a three-day trial.

Hodgins, of Ashdown Close, St Leonards, pleaded guilty to possessing a Class B drug and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment to run concurrently.

He was also given a 12 month concurrently sentence for possessing criminal property in the form of £1,600 in cash.

Chief Inspector Sarah Godley, district commander for Hastings and Rother, said: “This lengthy sentence positively reflects the individual’s involvement in drug dealing and the funds he obtained.

“It also shows that a person does not necessarily need to be in possession of a substance to be convicted – in this case, cocaine – and that evidence found on devices like mobile phones can be sufficient.

“I commend the officers for all their hard work in this investigation, and for bringing an offender to justice. We will continue to target drug dealers as part of our efforts to make our communities a safer place for all.”