The investigation that dismantled three Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) in Manchester, Liverpool,and South Wales, which were producing and supplying high purity cocaine to communities in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, South Wales and as far afield as Aberdeen, Scotland has ended in the conviction of the ring leaders.
In total 20 men and women have been convicted of a UK-wide conspiracy to supply an estimated £19million worth of cocaine.
In excess of 2.7kilos of high purity cocaine was seized during the investigation which saw significant intelligence development with excellent support from our communities, sparked the biggest, most complex and detailed drugs investigation of its kind for Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Team.
Four trials have been held at Swansea Crown Court and this week significant sentences have been given to all those involved.
The investigation entailed gathering evidence from other parts of the country, and utilising all available overt and covert tactics and pulling together an evidence package containing over 3,000 pieces of evidence to provide a strong case to the courts.
It centred on the illegal drug activities of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) headed by Matthew Roberts, aged 32, of Llanelli, operating in the Carmarthenshire and Swansea Valley area. It was sourcing significant quantities of high purity cocaine from two separate OCGs in Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
The Merseyside syndicate was headed by Ian Michael Edwards. He was sentenced to 14 years at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, September 25, due to his early guilty plea. Edwards coordinated the trafficking of cocaine via regular, consistent and trusted couriers, namely Andrew Curphey, a 17-year-old boy and Allen Heron, into Carmarthenshire and the Swansea Valley. This was facilitated via the head of the South Wales OCG Roberts. This group also developed a production and supply network in Aberdeen. Some 200 police officers were involved in the Merseyside arrests.
Paul Lasley formed part of the Greater Manchester OCG. Lasley coordinated the trafficking of high purity cocaine and large amounts of mixing agents to the Welsh based OCG, headed by Roberts.The twenty nine year old of Gorsey Brow, Wigan, was given a six year sentence for conspiracy to supply class A drugs in Wales.
Jonathan Bushell, Head of CPS Cymru-Wales Complex Casework Unit, said: “This operation targeted an extensive and highly-organised network of criminals who were involved in the supply of very large quantities of cocaine.
“One arm of the group was based in, and supplied drugs to, communities across South and West Wales. This Wales-based group sourced cocaine from a sophisticated organised crime network based in Liverpool. Members of the Liverpool gang have also been convicted for supplying cocaine into parts of Scotland.
“Each defendant in this case had a distinct role within the group and each therefore bears responsibility for bringing misery to the communities they supplied. Together they preyed on those in the grip of addiction, who often turn to other types of crime to support their habit.
“Over the last few years, police and prosecutors in Wales have had significant success in identifying, investigating and prosecuting large-scale drug suppliers. Our highly-skilled and dedicated teams are completely committed to ensuring that drug dealers are brought to justice. We hope that the scale and success of this operation will help re-enforce that message.”
