FIVE people have been found guilty or admitted to conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis as Dyfed-Powys Police continues its efforts to dismantle organised crime gangs.

Officers seized cocaine with a street value of more than £400,000 from gang members, who continually changed tactics to avoid arrest.

Six defendants have appeared in court in the latest phase of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Operation Burleigh, which sought to disrupt the trafficking and onward supply of class A and B drugs into Aberystwyth, with all but one admitting their charges or being found guilty by a jury.

This brings the total number of people awaiting sentence under the operation to 15.

The court heard that officers from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team and Ceredigion Priority Policing Team led the investigation into the OCG, which was described as ‘sophisticated, well-organised and evolving’.

Detective Sergeant Steven Jones said: “This conspiracy operated on a County Lines model, where controlled drugs are trafficked into a smaller rural town from a larger city, and the operation is controlled by one or more ‘drugs lines’.

“In this case there were a total of four lines controlling the supply of cocaine and cannabis within Aberystwyth.

“The conspirators frequently evolved their actions to frustrate the authorities and evade capture.”

The OCG embedded members were mainly asylum seekers brought to Aberystwyth by Toana Ahmad and another man who remains outstanding, with the sole purpose of dealing drugs. The drug lines were initially based in Swansea, and later in areas of Birmingham. 

Three properties – on Terrace Road, Alexander Road and Parc Graig Glas – were identified early in the investigation as being used to house the OCG members embedded in Aberystwyth. Substantial amounts of cash, controlled drugs and weapons were recovered from these properties, and from the people found inside. 

When arrests were made, the gang changed its tactics. Drugs began to be supplied from vehicles, and OCG members stayed in guest houses to avoid detection.

DS Jones added: “Trusted couriers were employed to transport drugs to Aberystwyth and cash back to Birmingham or Swansea. A number of vehicles, including taxis, were used as the gang attempted to avoid detection along the route, while trains were also taken when courier cars were stopped by officers.”

In June 2023, two vehicles travelling from the West Midlands towards Aberystwyth were stopped by police on consecutive days. A black sock was uncovered in the engine of the first car, which was found to contain 82g of high purity cocaine divided into 169 grip seal plastic bags.

Davinder Singh, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs, was the driver of the second vehicle, which was a taxi. A blue plastic bag was seen falling out of his shorts, which contained over 81g of high purity cocaine divided into 167 grip seal bags. 

DS Jones said: “On the basis that the amounts of cocaine transported over the 37 couriers over the course of the conspiracy period were similar, over 3kg of cocaine would have been conveyed to Aberystwyth from Birmingham.

“This equates to class A drugs with a potential street value of over £308,950.  In addition to this, class A drugs were seized from individuals and addresses with a potential street value of £103,445, along with cash totalling £11,687.

“A number of teams and departments across Dyfed-Powys Police, from analysts, CCTV operators and priority policing teams, to CAB, the Technical Support Unit, Economic Crime Team and Force Intelligence Bureau all assisted in dismantling the OCG from top to bottom.

“Their dedication and relentless efforts have assisted in making Aberystwyth a safer place to live without the threat and harm of drugs being made easily available on the street.”

After a seven-week trial at Swansea Crown Court earlier this year, the following three defendants were found guilty for their parts in the conspiracy:

• Toana Ahmad, aged 33, of Lee Gardens in Smethwich, West Midlands
• Barzan Sarhan, aged 31, of no fixed address
• Ahmed Piro, aged 26, of no fixed address

The jury failed to reach a verdict on two defendants during the earlier trial. They have been subject to a retrial starting on July 1, with the following outcomes:

• Hawre Ahmed, aged 35, of Pinderfields Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was found guilty by the jury of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.
• Diar Yousef Zeabari, aged 35, of Flat 5, 41 Bryn Road, Swansea, was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.

Karwan Karim, aged 39 of 125 Griffith John Street, Swansea, also stood trial, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs on day three.

In addition to the OCG members found guilty during the most recent trials, the following have previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs under Operation Burleigh:

• Davinder Singh, aged 36, of Huntingdon Road, West Bromwich
• Daban Khalil, aged 23, of Streetly Road, Birmingham
• Kastro Omar, aged 30, of Junction Road, Northampton
• Karwan Jabari, aged 26, of Weedon Close, Northampton
• Walid Younis Abdal, aged 34, of St Anne’s Road, Doncaster
• Saman Aziz, aged 41, of Kirk Road, Merseyside
• Adel Mustafa, aged 39, of Hubert Road, Newport
• Charlotte Roberts, aged 21, of Sutton Hill, Telford

The following have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs:

• Akasha Smith, aged 24, of Third Avenue, Aberystwyth
• Luqman Jarjis, aged 21, of Wake Green Road, Birmingham

A 70-YEAR-OLD woman has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving more than a year after a tragic incident that claimed the life of an eight-month-old baby outside a Welsh hospital.

Bridget Carole Curtis, from Begelly, Pembrokeshire, is set to appear at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on 22 August in connection with the death of Mabli Cariad Hall.

The incident occurred on 21 June 2023 outside Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. Mabli was in her pram when a white BMW struck it. The baby was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for initial treatment before being transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Tragically, Mabli succumbed to her injuries four days later, on 25 June. An inquest opened in July 2023 revealed that the infant died from severe traumatic brain injuries.

In a heartfelt statement released through Dyfed-Powys Police, Mabli’s family expressed their ongoing struggle with the loss: “This last year has been the most horrendous time of our lives. Our family life has been changed forever and to this day we are still trying to come to terms with what has happened”.

The family acknowledged the significance of the recent development, stating, “We understand we have more to come but this is the biggest step forward we’ve had since June last year”.

They also extended their gratitude to their support network: “We want to thank our friends, family and well-wishers who have supported us throughout this challenging time and will continue to support us as things progress. We will never forget that love and support shown to us and for the memory of our precious angel, Mabli Cariad”.

As the legal proceedings unfold, the community continues to remember the young life lost in this tragic incident.

POLICE in Haverfordwest are investigating a theft at Boots, Withybush, Haverfordwest, that happened on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at around 11.30am.

Items to the value of approximately £400 were taken from the store.

Officers would like to speak with the person in this CCTV image as they may have information that will assist with their enquiries.

Investigating officers have carried out all other lines of enquiry, and are now appealing for help in identifying the person pictured who might have information that could help.

Are you the person in this picture or do you know who they are? Please, let us know, either by calling 101. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org. Quote ref: 24* 400551”