B&Q car park cocaine gang jailed

Members of the gang were jailed after the police operation

Twelve people have been sentenced after police swooped on a major drug deal in a DIY store's car park.

Ten of them were jailed for a total of more than 80 years after police stopped the exchange of cocaine with a street value of £840,000 at a B&Q in Bridgend.

Nine people from nearby Maesteg, one from Swansea and two from Liverpool were dealt with at Cardiff Crown Court.

The head of the gang, Matthew Roberts,

who was jailed for 17 years, was called "determined and greedy" by detectives.

South Wales Police seized 7kg (15lb) of cocaine, which was enough to make 17,000 wraps, in January 2007, seconds after the drugs were handed over by one courier to another.

The seizure and subsequent arrests of the group were the result of seven months' work by the police's regional task force Tarian, which involved surveillance of the members in south Wales towns including Cardiff, Swansea, Bridgend and Maesteg. The investigation also took officers to Liverpool.

They discovered the drugs were sourced from within the Liverpool area and were being supplied to users in south Wales.

Officers working for Operation Sofitel gathered evidence through surveillance, audio, telephone data and forensic evidence, resulting in all but one of the defendants pleading guilty.

The 12 people sentenced in connection with the investigation were:

• Matthew Roberts, 36, of Maesteg, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis and was sentenced to 17 years. Police said he was the head of the group;

The head of the gang Matthew Roberts was jailed for 17 years

• Diann Lee, 42, of Maesteg, who pleaded guilty to money laundering. She is Roberts' wife and was given an eight-month suspended sentence and told to do 200 hours community service;

• Christopher Clark, 50, from Liverpool, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to six years;

• Matthew Thomas, 32, of Maesteg, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to eight years;

• Christopher Phillips, 42, of Maesteg, who pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to supply class A controlled drugs and possession of cannabis with intent to supply. He elected trial and was found guilty of both offences by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court. He was sentenced to 12 years;

• Ryan Maguire, 30, of Maesteg, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis and possession of two firearms and was sentenced to eight years and eight months;

• David Davies, 44 of Maesteg who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to three years, four months;

• Richard Burgess, 28, of Maesteg who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis and was sentenced to six years and eight months;

• Sean Young, 35, of Maesteg who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and supplying amphetamine and was sentenced to five years and four months;

• Alan Hayes, 28, from Liverpool who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to two years;

• Phillip Grinter, 31, of Swansea who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, three offences of supplying cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to supply cocaine. He was sentenced to 13 years and four months;

• Ian Herbert, 42, of Maesteg who pleaded guilty to money laundering. He was sentenced to eight months suspended and given 160 hours community service.

Message

Det Ch Insp Debbie Cooper said the sentences sent a message to drug dealers that the regional task force would deal with drug dealers.

"Matthew Roberts who was the head of the organised crime group was a determined and greedy criminal who thought he could get away with living this kind of lifestyle in full glare of the Maesteg community which is made up of honest hardworking people," she said.

"In September 2006 surveillance commenced on the group with the aim of identifying all its members and disrupting its activities.

"In January 2007 it was established that there was to be a delivery to this area from Liverpool.

"On January 24 2007, couriers Sean Young, from Maesteg, and Christopher Clark, from Liverpool, met up in the car park of B&Q in Waterton, Bridgend, where they exchanged 7kgs of cocaine with a street value of up to £840,000.

"Detectives from the regional task force intervened and the couriers were arrested.

"The remaining members of the group were arrested two months later after additional evidence had been obtained."

During the sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Christopher Llewellyn Jones commended officers for their work.