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48 years in jail for Pembrokeshire drugs gang [Updated]

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cocaine

MEMBERS of a drugs gang who shipped more than £1m worth of cocaine into Pembrokeshire have been jailed today(Jun 24)  for a total of 48 years.

The “head” of the west Wales link, businessman James Bolton, 48, of Kiln Road, Johnston, was jailed for nine and a half years.

Detectives bugged his business, Station Automotives, and heard him discussing drugs deals.

James Frederick Bolton

James Frederick Bolton

His then partner, Siobhan Jackson, 39, also of Kiln Road, was jailed for five years and four months.

Siobhan Jackson

Siobhan Jackson

Leigh Salter, aged 37, of Steynton Road, Milford Haven, said to be the “main man” in Milford Haven, was also jailed for five years and four months.

Leigh John Salter

Leigh John Salter

Andrew Davies, aged 54, of Hill Street, Haverfordwest, who made four drugs runs as a courier in return for £700, was sent down for four years and four months.

Andrew John Davies

Andrew John Davies

Part way through the conspiracy, which involved linking up with drugs suppliers in Liverpool, Salter started a quite separate scheme to buy drugs from a dealer in Swansea.

He used former soldier David Parker, aged 41, of Skomer Drive, Milford Haven, who was caught by detectives as he collected drugs for Salter.

Parker, said to be an active charity fund raiser in Milford, was jailed for 16 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work for the community.

They had all admitted conspiring to supply cocaine between September 1, 2012, and April 22, 2015.

Judge Paul Thomas, sitting at Swansea crown court, said the “kingpin” in Liverpool had been Adam Idris, 33, of Grove Dale Road, Liverpool.

Adam John Idris

Adam John Idris

The conspiracy was smashed by detectives working on Operation Pigeon but before they could move in Idris was arrested in Stoke on Trent as he delivered 250 grams of cocaine.

He was granted police bail while inquiries continued but spent his time setting up the Pembrokeshire conspiracy.

He was jailed for 12 years.

Adam Woodhouse, 34, of Weaver Close, Alsager, Staffordshire, his main courier who admitted making 60 trips to Pembrokeshire to either deliver drugs or collect money, received six years and eight months.

Adam Mark Woodhouse

Adam Mark Woodhouse

Idris’ cousin, bank worker John Foster, 34, of Tiverton Road, Liverpool, admitted money laundering and was jailed for two years and six months.

John Paul Foster

John Paul Foster

Dannielle Maloney, 36, of Dovedale Road, Liverpool, admitted the same charge. She was sentenced to 16 months, suspended for 12 months, and told to undertake 60 days of a rehabilitation activity and to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Thomas told all the defendants they had known the risks involved in supplying a class A drug.

“You took a gamble and lost. Now you must pay the price,” he said.

“Cocaine is often referred to as a leisure drug, but that hides the ugly truth, that it destroys lives and families.

“But each of you took a deliberate decision to get involved in this illegal activity.”

The gang, he said, had made huge amounts of money out of west Wales while creating huge amounts of misery for the people who ultimately consumed the drugs.

During a two day sentencing hearing Robin Rouch, the barrister leading the prosecution, said police logged mobile telephone traffic, car movements and money transfers and in all were able to identify 43 drug runs, although after his arrest Woodhouse alone confessed to at least 60.

It became clear, said Mr Rouch, that Salter and Bolton were the “main players” locally and that Idris was the supplier and Woodhouse the main courier.

When police moved in to make arrests they made finds that suggested about 500 grams of cocaine, worth £30,000, were being shipped each time.

The listening device picked up Bolton and Jackson discussing delivery routes and changing mobile telephones.

And Jackson was followed to Liverpool.

Mr Rouch said Operation Pigeon soon became intertwined with another drugs operation that involved Idris supplying cocaine from Liverpool to the Stoke on Trent area.

Bolton, the court heard, had been convicted in 2010 of possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Mr Rouch said a Proceeds of Crime investigation was now underway to identify drugs profits that could be confiscated.

POLICE WELCOME SENTENCES

Officers from the Dyfed-Powys Police Serious and Organised Crime Team welcome the sentences handed down today by Judge Paul Thomas in respect to the ten individuals convicted for their part in a conspiracy to supply Class A controlled drugs, namely cocaine, into the Pembrokeshire area. The operation had been named, “Operation Pigeon”.

The operation centred on the illegal drug dealing activities of two Organised Crime Groups (OCG’s) within Pembrokeshire. The first headed by James Frederick Bolton operating within the Johnston / Haverfordwest area and the second headed by Leigh John Salter operating within the Milford Haven area. Mr Bolton and Mr Salter had sourced significant quantities of cocaine from a Liverpool OCG headed by Adam John Idris and had arranged its onward distribution at Pembrokeshire via a criminal network of associates. Later in the investigation it was identified that Leigh John Salter also sourced cocaine from a Swansea based individual.

The operation captured evidence between a significant period: from October 2012 to April 2015.

Police intercepted two seizures of cocaine during the course of the investigation totalling 1.2Kg.

Officers evidenced the movement of in the region of £60,000 between Pembrokeshire and the Liverpool based crime group during the conspiracy period. Furthermore, in the region of £7,000 cash was also recovered by police.

Detective Chief Inspector Huw Davies, the Senior Investigating officer, told The Herald: “Today’s sentences are pleasing and reflect the hard work and tenacity of the investigating team during a complex enquiry.

“The investigation evidences a commitment by Dyfed Powys police to provide appropriate resources to investigate and reduce the risk of drug related harm within our communities.

“The investigation disclosed that this crime group were responsible for the trafficking of cocaine into the Pembrokeshire area.

These were significant amounts of cocaine to be available within the small communities of Pembrokeshire and the investigation and enforcement is likely to have had a significant impact.

“The level of this investigation and sentencing should send a clear message to those intent on committing serious crime within our policing area that you will ultimately be frustrated and held responsible for your actions”

Crime

Waste dumped at recycling centre leads police to drug factory near Cardigan

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Man jailed after drug discovery sparked by vigilant staff

A TIP-OFF from staff at an Aberystwyth recycling centre has led to the discovery of a large cannabis factory in a derelict property near Cardigan — and landed a 20-year-old man behind bars.

Manuel Nerguti was sentenced to six months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (July 11) after pleading guilty to producing a class B drug.

The court heard that on May 1 this year, workers at the Aberystwyth recycling centre reported a suspicious delivery: four to five bags of cannabis stalks, apparently dumped by men in a hired Ford Transit van.

Police acted quickly and intercepted the van later that afternoon on the road between Aberystwyth and Cardigan. Nerguti and two other men were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, but were released without charge at the time, as no grow site had been located.

However, a month later, acting on new intelligence, Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at a derelict house in Bridell, near Cardigan. Inside, they discovered a sophisticated cannabis cultivation operation: 260 mature plants spread across five rooms and an attic, with the electricity supply illegally bypassed.

During the raid on June 7, Nerguti attempted to flee but was found hiding behind a washing machine in the garage.

He was charged and later pleaded guilty to producing cannabis.

Detective Constable Sam Garside, who led the investigation, praised the recycling centre staff for their quick thinking.

He said: “This result is thanks to the staff at the recycling centre for recognising that criminal activity was taking place and for alerting police quickly.

“We rely on the public to inform us of anything suspicious going on in their communities and we encourage people to get in touch if they suspect anything. We were able to use our local knowledge and police intelligence to execute a successful warrant and shut down an illegal cannabis factory.

“We are committed to continuing our drug operations across Dyfed-Powys and bringing offenders like Nerguti to justice.”

Police estimate the cannabis seized had a potential street value of up to £242,000.

More information on Operation Scotney — Dyfed-Powys Police’s campaign to tackle cannabis cultivation — including how to spot signs of a drug grow, can be found on their website.

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Pembrokeshire County Council group to review ‘climate emergency’

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A CALL for a group to review Pembrokeshire County Council’s decision to declare a climate emergency some six years ago has been backed by councillors.

In May 2019, the council declare a climate emergency following a notice of motion by Cllr Joshua Beynon calling on the authority to back the global consensus that climate change poses a risk to the well-being of future generations.

He had urged county councillors to back a motion to take “bold, decisive action” to fight “truly, catastrophic” climate change.

He called on the council to commit to becoming a zero-carbon local authority by 2030.

At the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, a notice of motion by Cllr Mike Stoddart called for the establishment of a working group to review the decision made by the council to declare a climate change emergency.

Cllr Stoddart’s motion said: “Given the turbulence on the global financial markets; the parlous state of the UK’s public finances; Pembrokeshire County Council’s projected funding gap; and the government’s softening of its policies on the switch to EV vehicles and heat pumps, this council establishes a seven person, politically balanced working group to review the authority’s decision to declare a climate emergency at its meeting on May 9, 2019.

“The working group will be asked to: (a) examine the effect of the emergency declaration on the level of council tax in Pembrokeshire and particularly the extent to which any such increases militate against the authority’s anti-poverty policies.

“(b) The cost of decarbonising the council’s housing stock and the effect this has had on the authority’s ability to finance the building of new housing.

“(c) The extent to which the council’s decarbonisation programme has contributed to a reduction of the risk of runaway global temperature increases, and (d) any other effects that the working group considers may have adversely impacted the wellbeing of the residents of Pembrokeshire.”

Cllr Stoddart’s notice of motion was previously supported at the June meeting of the council’s corporate overview and scrutiny committee, with a recommendation to full council in July meeting, to reinstate the Net Zero Working Group to review the contents of the notice of motion and, subject to the outcome of this review, review the future delivery of the Net Zero Action Plan.

Cllr Stoddart’s call was backed by Cllr Steve Alderman, and Cllr Rhys Jordan, who said: “I fully support this, it couldn’t come sooner; around England and Wales councils are looking at this, there’s been a huge push for a ‘net zero’ agenda at any cost, I don’t think we’re in a position to drive that.”

Cllr Aaron Carey said: “We’ve set ourselves some lofty goals, but we haven’t got the money to back it up.”

Members overwhelmingly agreed to back the June committee recommendations.

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Urgent appeal to save 1,000 hens in Pembrokeshire and beyond

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British Hen Welfare Trust seeks homes before Friday deadline

AN URGENT appeal has been launched to find homes for more than 1,000 hens due to be rehomed next weekend – including from a rescue centre in Boncath, Pembrokeshire.

The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) is coordinating the rehoming effort on Saturday (July 26), aiming to rescue ex-caged hens from slaughter and instead place them into loving homes. The appeal also covers rehoming centres in Locking, near Bristol, and Kineton in Warwickshire.

The charity says the hens have come to the end of their commercial egg-laying lives, but remain healthy and can thrive as pets. However, they must be rehomed by Friday (July 25) to avoid being needlessly killed.

“This is a time-sensitive and visual story that resonates locally,” said Andy Hill, Marketing & Communications Officer for the BHWT. “These hens have worked hard their whole lives and deserve a second chance.”

The organisation recently marked the rehoming of its one millionth hen – which was adopted by King Charles III – and the upcoming effort is part of its continued mission to improve hen welfare across the UK.

Local spokespeople are available for interview, and high-resolution images are available for media use.

For more information or to register interest in adopting hens, visit: www.bhwt.org.uk

Image for illustration purposes only

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