Men charged in major drugs haul

Police seized ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines

Three men have appeared before magistrates after police uncovered a £500,000 drugs haul in a south Wales raid.

Officers who searched seven homes in Maesteg, near Bridgend, discovered cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis.

It could have resulted in drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine being distributed across southern Wales

Acting Det Chief Ins Jim Milston, South Wales Police

It was one of the biggest hauls uncovered by detectives since the launch of a joint initiative by the three south Wales police forces to combat the infiltration of drug gangs in the region.

The men, Justin King, Jamie Preece and Paul Bastian, have been charged with possession with intent to supply drugs.

They appeared at Bridgend Magistrates on Friday where they were remanded into police custody.

Two other men who were arrested during the operation have been released on police bail until 29 October.

The haul came a day before the Home Secretary David Blunkett visited the south Wales Valleys, where he announced funding for a police initiative - Operation Tarian.

Firearms, counterfeit money and stolen vehicles were also seized in the raid.

Police are targeting dealers who sell cocaine

Specialist police units from Bridgend and Pontypridd used trained search dogs to recover the illegal goods.

Detectives carried out the raid as part of Operation Frederiction - a long term investigation.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Jim Milston said: "This phase of the operation is particularly important as we are looking at a targeted supply network.

"It could have resulted in drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine being distributed across southern Wales.

"We are very pleased with the result of the phase and I think it sends a clear message to drugs dealers across the region that we are on to them," he added.

Covert investigation

A police spokesman said that the raid was part of a long covert investigation under the Tarian drugs initiative set up by South Wales, Gwent and Dyfed Powys police forces.

Tarian, which is Welsh for Shield, has been set up to try and stop gangs from Birmingham and Bristol flooding the market with cheap, hard drugs.

In September, police confirmed that the amount of Class A drugs being recovered by the three forces have increased dramatically.

They said that in four months earlier this year, more heroin was confiscated than in the whole of 2000.