An Ipswich man posed for photos with the spoils of a drug-dealing business which netted him almost £150,000 in two years.

Mateusz Nowakowski’s Yarmouth Road flat, which he shared with his partner and young daughter, was found to contain hundreds of ecstasy tablets, amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, cash and weapons when raided by police.

Detectives found mobile phone photos of him posing with wads of money, while £147,760 had been deposited into two personal bank accounts between November 2017 and February 2020.

When arrested, the 28-year-old asked police: “Who snitched on me? Was it one of my customers?”

On Thursday, Ipswich Crown Court heard how officers executed a warrant in October and found 335 ecstasy tablets, 417.68g of amphetamine and 916g of cannabis worth a total of £14,400, along with £5,440 cash, a ‘tick list’ of amounts owed by customers, weighing scales, deal bags, a stun gun, baseball bat, axe, machete and knuckleduster.

In December, while Nowakowski was still under investigation, police again raided the flat and found tin foil wraps containing 3g of cocaine, before returning on February 27 to find paying in slips for the two bank accounts.

A month later, Nowakowski admitted possession with intent to supply MDMA, amphetamine and cannabis, possession of cocaine, possession of a stun gun and concealing criminal property.

Prosecutor Wayne Cleaver said Nowakowski had convictions for robbery, burglary and theft in his native Poland, but only motoring offences and non-compliance with community orders in this country.

He said Nowakowski acted as a sole trader to operate one of the “principal drug-dealing hubs” in the area of Yarmouth Road.

Shade Abiodun, mitigating, said Nowakowski had indicated guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity.

She argued it was inaccurate to describe him as having a leading role in a drug supply operation.

Judge Rupert Overbury said Nowakowski continued to deal substantial amounts of drugs and reap large rewards while under investigation – banking almost £26,000 in two weeks.

“You were motivated solely by financial gain and were prepared to protect your profits by having to hand non-lethal weapons,” said Judge Overbury, who called Nowakowski a prolific trader of class A drugs before sentencing him to a total of five years and two months’ custody.