FIVE Belgian fishing companies and their vessel masters have been prosecuted for serious breaches of fisheries legislation in Welsh waters, marking the latest success in the Welsh Government’s crackdown on illegal fishing.

The cases, which relate to the misreporting of Dover sole catches between quota areas in 2022 and 2023, are part of a wider enforcement operation that has resulted in eight prosecutions being authorised by the Counsel General.

Deputy First Minister for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “Our seas are vital to Wales’ coastal communities, supporting both commercial fishing and tourism. These prosecutions send a clear message that we will not tolerate illegal fishing activities that threaten the sustainability of our marine resources for future generations.”

Counsel General Julie James added: “These successful prosecutions demonstrate our commitment to protecting Welsh waters. Anyone breaking fishing laws—whether offshore or in intertidal areas—should expect to face prosecution and potentially severe penalties.”

DYFED-POWYS POLICE say they have seized cannabis plants worth more than £860,000 in a week-long operation targeting large-scale production by organised crime gangs.

Officers raided six properties across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Powys as part of Operation Mille 3, an initiative aimed at disrupting illegal cannabis farms. Seven people were arrested, and six have been charged with production.

Detective Chief Inspector Rich Lewis said: “In just one week, we have seized and destroyed a significant amount of cannabis, which will no doubt have disrupted organised criminal activity within Dyfed-Powys and beyond.

“The growth of cannabis on a commercial scale is a problem we have faced over the past year in Dyfed-Powys, but we are taking a robust approach to stamping it out.”

WEST WALES FLOODED WITH CANNABIS FARMS

The operation follows a surge in the number of cannabis farms uncovered across West Wales in the last 12 months, with almost every town in the region affected. Police say the sheer scale of illegal production has highlighted the growing influence of organised crime networks in rural communities.

It also comes after significant police raids in Pembrokeshire and Swansea, where large-scale cannabis farms have been shut down.

In Pembrokeshire, officers raided a former chemist shop on Main Street, Pembroke, in October, discovering hundreds of cannabis plants in what police described as an “industrial-scale” operation. The discovery led to multiple arrests and an ongoing investigation into links with wider criminal networks.

Meanwhile, in Swansea, police executed a warrant at a warehouse in the city centre, uncovering a sophisticated cannabis factory with lighting and irrigation systems designed for large-scale production. That raid resulted in the seizure of thousands of pounds worth of cannabis and several arrests.

RAIDS ACROSS WEST WALES

The latest operation began on Monday, February 17, with a raid on a house on Cambrian Street, Llanelli. A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of producing cannabis, and 179 plants were seized, with a potential street value of up to £61,600.

The following day, officers raided a rural property outside Kidwelly, seizing 194 plants worth an estimated £264,100. The homeowner and another man were arrested.

On Friday, February 21, officers executed a warrant at Mansel Street, Burry Port, where nearly 170 cannabis plants were found, valued at approximately £166,000. Another suspect was arrested.

The final Carmarthenshire raid took place at Gilbert Crescent, Llanelli, where officers seized almost 150 plants, worth up to £113,000.

Further raids were carried out at properties in Newtown and a rural location in Llanfihangel-ar-Arth, leading to the arrests of a man and a woman.

ORGANISED CRIME UNDERMINED

Operation Mille 3 builds on the success of Operation Scotney, which has been running since January 2024. Over that period, officers have shut down more than 40 large-scale cannabis farms, seizing drugs valued at over £12 million.

DCI Lewis added: “Our communities might assume cannabis on this scale is grown in industrial units or remote areas, but this week’s raids have targeted terraced rental properties in or near town centres, converted to grow hundreds of plants.”

WARNING SIGNS

Police are urging the public to remain vigilant and report signs of illegal cannabis production, which include:

• Condensation on windows
• A strong smell
• Excessive garden waste
• Covered windows
• Bright lights on at odd hours
• Frequent power cuts
• People coming and going at unusual times

Anyone with information is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police or the independent charity Crimestoppers.

(Images: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

Supply of cannabis in South West Wales was disrupted by operation, say police

TWO men who tried to evade officers by smashing through the roof of a house will be sentenced later this month.

Three west Wales cannabis growers who were arrested as part of a police offensive to tackle organised criminal networks have pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and will be sentenced later this month.

Dorjan Dautaj and Ergys Dautaj, both 24, were inside a house on Swansea Road, Trebanos, when tactical search teams forced entry on February 13.

They smashed their way up through the roof of the Swansea house and risked their lives to escape by jumping onto a neighbouring roof.

But there was no way out, and they surrendered to officers waiting below.

Cannabis plants in varying stages of growth were discovered in two bedrooms, the living room, and the attic of one of the properties, which had been extensively and dangerously modified to cultivate the drug.

Both pleaded guilty to cannabis production and will appear alongside another man, Osman Sallaku, 21, to be sentenced on Friday, March 21. Sallaku was arrested at a nearby address on the same day in what were co-ordinated police warrants.

They are among 12 people arrested during a month-long police crackdown throughout February. Warrants were executed across south Wales, including in Swansea, Cardiff, and the south Wales valleys, as part of the third phase of a national effort to disrupt organised crime groups known as Operation Millie.

Nearly 1,000 plants were also discovered by police when they raided two commercial units in Pontypridd on February 25.

The operation targeted organised crime linked to violence, exploitation, and anti-social behaviour, which blights communities and fuels other criminal activity, including county lines drug trafficking, modern slavery, and human trafficking.

Detective Chief Inspector Jamie Holcombe said: “The myth that cannabis is harmless couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that the production of cannabis leaves a trail of misery and destruction in its wake. Those tasked by criminal networks to look after the cannabis grows are often vulnerable and sometimes victims of human trafficking.”

In many cases, landlords and their agents are the first to notice signs of illegal activity. Reporting concerns to police at an early stage allows forces to shut down cannabis farms before they cause serious damage.

Detective Chief Inspector Holcombe added: “There is also the financial cost of commercial cannabis grows, which often cause damage to properties taken over for that purpose. Buildings can become inherently dangerous, with fire risks due to the unlawful abstraction of electricity, fumes, and water damage—posing a serious and potentially lethal threat to those in neighbouring properties.

“During the operation, we arrested one landlord suspected of being complicit in the criminal enterprise. He has since been released under investigation. Anybody involved in this type of criminality is committing a serious offence and faces being arrested and prosecuted.”

Operation Millie, which took place in February, was part of a wider national operation involving police forces from across England and Wales. The crackdown is expected to cause further disruption to cannabis supply networks across the region, particularly in West Wales.