A drug dealer in the UK, who had decorated a Christmas tree with cash and cocaine, was arrested and jailed for his involvement in a major narcotics ring. 

The bizarre picture by dealer Marvin Porcelli came under the spotlight of the Merseyside Police in northwest England, who shared that the arrest was a part of a bigger operation named ‘Overboard’. The images were eventually added to the pile of evidence proving his involvement. 

In a tweet thread riddled with biting humour and photos, the police wrote, “We don’t know about you, but when we decorate our Christmas tree, it generally looks something like this,” adding, “But it seems that when you start getting into Class A drug trafficking, your taste in festive home design goes out of the window.”

“We caught Porcelli as part of Operation Overboard, which is apt as that’s how we’d describe the Christmas décor snapped on his phone (what’s wrong with a nice spruce with some simple baubles and tinsel?),” the police added with pictures of the drugs retrieved.

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Porcelli, 47. was sentenced to seven years and six months for conspiracy to supply cocaine, diamorphine, and cannabis.

Along with him, eight other men were also caught on December 20, leading to a sentence of more than 89 years together. The investigation targeted the organised crime group who worked together to deal the drugs across Merseyside.

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“Joking aside, these men were serious criminals, highly organised and some were well armed. They just didn’t reckon on the expertise, perseverance and capabilities we and law enforcement throughout the UK and Europe possess,” the police wrote on Twitter.