Police have issued a warning to drug dealers after a Brazilian criminal who posed as a delivery driver was jailed.

Thames Valley Police’s Wantage and Grove team has warned it will find any drug dealers operating within the town of Wantage and bring them to justice.

Commenting on Friday morning, a police spokesperson said: “Let this be a clear message. If you come to Wantage to deal drugs, we will find you, and we will ensure you are put before the courts and brought to justice.”

This comes after Leonardo Silvestre, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday, May 12.

Cocaine found by police after the arrest on Denchworth Road, Wantage (Image: Thames Valley Police)

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply a class A drug, namely cocaine.

The court heard Silvestre, who is a Brazilian national, was arrested by police on a moped in Denchworth Road, Wantage, on April 10.

Thames Valley Police previously said it stopped a male “posing as a food‑delivery rider after suspicious behaviour caught our attention”.

The force added: “That instinct paid off — during a search we recovered 16 wraps of cocaine and over £1,000 in cash. All seized.”

Leandra Smith, prosecuting, told the court that when officers detained Silvestre for a search, they noticed he couldn’t speak English, so they used Google Translate.

He told officers he was delivering pizzas.

However he then added: “I was desperate and couldn’t find work. So I bought cocaine but they wouldn’t accept my money.

“I’m a little desperate but you guys stopped me.”

Leonardo Silvestre (Image: TVP)

The police spokesperson said on Friday: “Now, credit where it’s due… he was one of the only ones who didn’t run.

“I can confirm my legs take a good two days to recover after chasing people so I might have to start asking judges to factor in an extra two days for my recovery time when deciding sentences.

“On a more serious note, despite a guilty plea, this sentence shows that the courts take this type of offending just as seriously as we do.”

The team added: “Thank you to the community for your continued support in helping us keep Wantage and Grove safe. “

Judge Michael Roques said: “You were stopped by police because they received reports you were dealing drugs.

“You had 16 wraps of cocaine worth £640. This is the first time you have been before the courts and in custody.”

Silvestre was jailed for a total of 26 months and orders were made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs, his phone, cash and the moped.