FULL STORY: Gang caught with drugs worth £5m locked up

MEMBERS of a Gwent drugs gang caught with £5 million of cocaine and mephedrone in the largest ever seizure obtained by the region’s police force were jailed today.

Led by Ashley Burgham, aged 32, of Tanglewood Drive, Blaina, the men distributed cocaine and mephedrone across South Wales from October 2013 until January this year.

His team -– who all pleaded guilty –- has now been broken up, after members, from his second in command to his foot solders, were jailed after they were traced by Gwent Police’s Operation Mint.

In total, it is thought they received about 24 kilograms of cocaine, worth millions of pounds.

On one occasion, 3.75 kilograms of high purity cocaine was received. Cut several times its value could have been £1.5 million to £4.5 million, Cardiff Crown Court heard today.

It also took in 35 kilograms of mephedrone said to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Ashley Burgham was aided by deputies – first Michael Barnes, aged 32, of Whitehorse Court, Abertillery, who quit part-way through 2014 after working in that role for 10 months, and then Kyle Burgham, 29, of HMP Cardiff.

The court heard Burgham worked at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre, had no criminal past and that staff there had been shocked to hear of his criminality.

Car enthusiast Barnes’ motivation for getting involved in the ring and earning £10,000 to £15,000 from it was to buy a Ford Focus, which he would not have been able to afford otherwise.

Their cocaine was first sourced through an Albanian crime ring, the court was told.

The ringleader of that group, Alex Ferrari, was jailed in April for 11 years, prosecutor John Hipkin said.

Once that group’s delivery had floundered, the drug was sourced from Spain, aided by Martyn Pagett, 32, of Gwent Terrace, Blaina. He will be sentenced for his part in a separate £1 million cocaine conspiracy next week, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

Dealer Martyn Wood, 29, of Brynbach Street, Tredegar, was a habitual cocaine user and had been hospitalised as a result of his excessive use of it, the court heard.

Defending Wood, Tracey Lloyd-Nesling he was glad, on reflection, his role with the gang had come to an end.

She told the court: “To be blunt: it was be arrested or die.”

Other members of the cocaine distributing unit, Aaron Pugsley, aged 29, of Montague Street, Abertillery, and Phillip Ratledge, aged 20, of Queen Street, Ebbw Vale, had earlier admitted their guilt, along with the others.

Judge Daniel Williams told the group: “You played for high stakes with your eyes open and you lost.”

He added: “You and others were working as a team, an organised group. You were playing different roles knowing that the roles you played assisted the others and kept these operations going.”

Ashley Burgham was jailed for 10 years and eight months, while Kyle Burgham and Barnes will each serve eight years.

Pugsley and Wood were jailed for six years and eight months, while Ratledge was given five years and eight months.

The gang’s sourcing of mephedrone and its distribution was principally headed up by Wood, who would give it to others to sell further down the supply chain after it was bought from other dealers in Ware, Hertfordshire, it was said in court.

Others who admitted taking part in the distribution of that class B drug were also caged.

Ashley Martin, aged 27, of Curre Street, Ebbw Vale, will serve two years; Grant Coles, aged 34, of Armstrong Close, Newport will serve 16 months; and Joshua Dare, aged 24, of Buccaneer Close, Newport, and Matthew Richards, aged 26, of Bryntiriaon, Mountain Ash, will both serve 12 months.

Another man involved in the operation, Cory Davies, aged 32, of Gwern-Berthi Road, Abertillery, received an 18-month prison sentence. But he will serve a further year-long sentence in addition to that for his part in a cannabis growing project, which police found in a house he owned ion Aberbeeg Road in Abertillery.

His total sentence is two-and-a-half years.

Another man who played a smaller role, meanwhile, Mark Bishop, aged 27, of Cwrt Pen-y-Twyn, Tredegar, received a suspended prison sentence of 32 weeks and will undertake 180 hours of unpaid work.

A man who helped Martin launder £19,020 of drug money avoided immediate jail.

Nicholas Baker, 27, of Canning Street, Ebbw Vale, admitted to keeping the money in a safe at his home.
He was given a 32 -week prison sentence suspended for 18 months and will be required to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.

Cops: It's our biggest bust

GWENT Police's senior investigating officer DCI Roger Fortey said: "This successful investigation has seen the largest amount of class A and B drugs ever seized in the Gwent force area.

"Officers carried out a meticulous ienquiry to dismantle this sophisticated organised crime group, with the initial arrests and significant seizures taking place almost two years ago.

"The defendants in this case were motivated by greed and profits and had convinced themselves that they were untouchable. They were intent on bringing large quantities of controlled drugs to our streets without a thought of the consequences or how their activity could affect others.

"The negative impact and harm drugs have on people's lives should never be underestimated. Seizing these drugs and putting these criminals behind bars has saved our local communities from needless suffering.

"The sentences today prove no one is untouchable, and serve as a clear and strong message to others engaging in this type of activity; you will be caught and you will face the consequences."

"We remain committed to tackling illegal drug use and activity in Gwent. Anyone with information about drug activity in their area is asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

CPS: Case sends message

SENIOR Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wales Complex Casework Unit Gemma Vincent said: “Cocaine, mephedrone and other illegal drugs are a blight on communities throughout Wales.

"Today’s sentencing marks another success in our efforts to undermine the activities of criminal gangs who bring these illegal substances to our streets and profit from the misery of others.

“In recent times, we have seen more and more organised drugs gangs being brought before Welsh courts. This is testament to the professionalism and skill of police investigation teams throughout Wales, working hand in hand with prosecutors to build strong cases against those intent on supplying and selling illegal drugs.

“We hope this case sends another clear message to those involved in criminal activities of this nature. Police and prosecutors have the expertise needed to uncover and prosecute those involved and we will work together to ensure that they are brought before the courts. We will also use Proceeds of Crime legislation to ensure that those convicted are not able to retain any financial benefit from their illegal activities.”

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