TWO men who ran a lucrative cocaine supply ring in Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly must endure stringent restrictions on their freedoms after their release from lengthy prison sentences.

Restrictions governing ownership and use of bank accounts, mobile phones and vehicles, and the amount of cash they can have, will apply to Matthew Smith, of Sunny View, Pontlottyn, and Gareth Price, of Queen's Road, Elliots Town, New Tredegar, through Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs) imposed by a judge at Newport Crown Court.

Each will allowed one personal bank account, one business account if they require one, one mobile phone, and one vehicle - all of which they must notify the police about - and must have no more than £1,000 in cash at any one time. They are also banned from contacting each other for the duration of the SCPO.

Ringleader Smith is serving nine years and four months while Price, Smith's next in line in the chain of command, is serving seven years.

Half of these sentences will be served on licence, and the SCPOs will cover the five years after their release on licence.

The orders, imposed under the Serious Crime Act 2015, are intended to protect the public by preventing, restricting or disrupting a person’s involvement in serious crime by imposing a range of conditions, for instance relating to financial affairs, travel and who they associate with.

Smith and Price were among six men jailed last October for their parts in the supply of cocaine between December 2017 and May 2018, an operation involving substantial amounts of money.

The drugs were received from sources close to their importation, and sold on to suppliers after being stored and cut.

Making the SCPO application before Judge Daniel Williams, counsel Jonathan Rees argued that Smith, who ran the operation, and Price were involved in a "sophisticated conspiracy", trading in "multiple kilograms of cocaine at a high purity" over several months. It had been a "fully planned, professional trade", motivated by money and greed.

"Smith had a large network of contacts which he used to service the cocaine in bulk amounts from a number of different upstream suppliers," said Mr Rees.

"The purity (of the cocaine) indicates they were close to the source of its entry to the UK. They traded it to other cocaine dealers, who were themselves dealing in large amounts, but in the tier below Smith."

Smith had been aware of police surveillance and attempted to use anti-surveillance techniques.

A number of bank accounts, mobile phones and vehicles had been used, many in other people's names.

Smith had also, said Mr Rees, "discussed and sent instructions to Price from prison to carry on his criminal enterprise." These discussions had included "how to firebomb enemies of his drug business".

Price, said Mr Rees, "closely assisted", attending meetings at Smith's home, using his own address as a delivery point for the cocaine, and allocating tasks to other members of the ring.

He had been prepared to carry on if Smith was in prison, and had used text messaging to generate cocaine sales.

Smith's counsel Nicholas Gareth Jones argued a SCPO was "totally unnecessary" as he was not a prolific offender and simply to argue that because he had been involved in a sophisticated conspiracy meant he was likely to do it again, was not sufficient grounds to impose one.

For Price, counsel Terence Woods argued that imposing a SCPO would be "exceptional", as he was serving a substantial sentence followed by a licence period.

Imposition of a SCPO is a matter of judgement, based on an assessment of future risk of reoffending, which must be "real or significant". The interference a SCPO creates in a defendant’s freedom of action must be justified by the benefit derived from it.

Judge Williams was satisfied Smith "sat at the top of the conspiracy" and "traded in cocaine as a lucrative business", while Price controlled a disused railway carriage where cocaine was cut prior to distribution.

"In my judgement there is a real risk they will continue to commit further offences," he said, concluding that there are "reasonable grounds" to impose a SCPO. Interference in the defendants' lives "is in my judgement, justified by the benefit", he added.

SCPO applications relating to the other four men imprisoned for their roles in the conspiracy - Jory Kift, 25, of School Street, Elliot’s Town (serving six years and eight months), and Jamie Myerscough, 27, of Gilfach Street, Bargoed; Bradley Williams, 31, of Coronation Road, Abertillery; and Callum Lewis, 24, of Alfred Street, Abertysswg 9all serving six years) - were turned down.