Guy Ritchie's script adviser on his new gangster film RocknRolla has been charged with possessing more than £100,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.

Michael De’Hara, 56, an old friend of Madonna’s husband, was arrested in the street near his home in South-East London following an undercover operation by detectives from Scotland Yard’s drugs squad.

He was allegedly carrying a kilogram of cocaine and when officers searched his home in Kennington, they allegedly found nine kilograms of cannabis and £6,000 in cash.

Film role: Michael De'Hara, left, in a scene from Ritchie's film Snatch

Last night the Metropolitan Police confirmed that De’Hara was arrested following ‘an intelligence-led operation’ and subsequently charged with possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.

He was remanded in custody to Brixton Prison until September 19, when he is due to appear before a judge at Southwark Crown Court.

An unidentified woman was also arrested at De’Hara’s home during the police search and was later bailed until next month pending further inquiries.

Ritchie, 39, met De’Hara – who is known as Micky – seven years ago.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie: The director is an old friend of Michael De'Hara

According to a source close to the film-maker, the two men struck up a rapport and Ritchie approached De’Hara for help when he first started writing the script for RocknRolla, which is based on a get-rich-quick scheme orchestrated by a Russian mobster.

A movie insider told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Guy and Micky go back a long time. They met through a friend and have stayed in touch.

‘Guy knew Micky would be useful to him when he started doing research for his new movie. Micky worked as a script consultant, although he’s not a real writer by any means.’

As well as being a consultant on the script, De’Hara also appears in a handful of scenes in the movie, which opens next month.

The source added: ‘Micky plays a chauffeur called Turbo. The chief drugs baron is a chap called Lenny Cole and Turbo drives Lenny around in a Bentley.

'He doesn’t have a major part, it’s more a fleeting role that was intended as a thank you from Guy for all of Micky’s help on the movie. He was really chuffed to have landed the part.’

De’Hara’s arrest, on July 16, will no doubt have come as a blow to Ritchie, who is said to be adamant that there should be no controversy surrounding the release of his latest movie.

His last two films, Swept Away and Revolver, bombed at the box office and he has not had a hit since Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels in 1998 and Snatch in 2000 – in which De’Hara also appeared. He was listed in the cast as Mickey Dee and played Jack The All-Seeing Eye.

Set in the seedy underworld of modern London, RocknRolla features Full Monty actor Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler, who appeared in 300 – the recent swords-and-sandals hit about the Spartans – and Thandie Newton, star of Mission Impossible 2, as a seductive accountant.

Ritchie is so convinced that his latest movie will be a success that he revealed last week that he is planning a trilogy and said: ‘I’ve written a sequel so people better go see RocknRolla.’

Ritchie was yesterday helping Madonna celebrate her 50th birthday.

Commenting on De’Hara’s arrest his spokesman said: ‘Like everyone else, Guy was very surprised by the news.’