£100k of cocaine seized during raid on luxury seafront apartments

Officers also found £32,000 in cash when they searched an address in The Leas, Westcliff.

Three men were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and will stand trial at Basildon Crown Court next month.

Julian Ware-Lane, Labour councillor for Milton ward, was stunned but praised police for getting the drugs off the streets.

He said: “It’s very shocking and I have no recollection of there being any sort of problem there on that sort of scale before. It’s a real coup for the police and I take my hat off to them.

“It’s quite a gentile part of the seafront, and to recover the amount of drugs and cash proves this kind of thing can happen absolutely anywhere.”

Police confirmed the raid was not part of Operation Raptor, the county-wide anti-drugs operation that has seen scores of people arrested since February, many of them members of London-based gangs.

Ash Holland, of the Operation Raptor gang unit, said the amount of cocaine seized was “significant” and came about through intelligence provided to officers.

The Leas resident Rita Roth said she was surprised to hear the raid took place in the usually trouble-free area.

She said: “All I can say is I was totally unaware. I had no idea anything was going on.

“It is quite shocking. I can say I have never seen anything untoward going on there at all.”

Suri Sula, 26, unemployed, of Whitton Dene, Hounslow, has been charged with possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. Scott Stillaway, 26, a director, of The Leas, Westcliff, was charged with possession of a class A drugs with intent to supply and possession of class A drugs.

Ricky Lawrence, 39, a painter, of Harrier Close, Shoebury, was charged with being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and acquiring, using or having in his possession criminal property, namely £32,000 cash.

All three denied the charges at Southend Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

They were remanded in custody to appear at Basildon Crown Court on August 15.