TWO cousins from Swansea have been sentenced for their roles in a cocaine-dealing operation, following a series of events that began with the keen observation of off-duty police officers. Ben Rose, 21, and Corey Jones, 20, were both apprehended after it was discovered that they were running a drug line known as the RJ line, which distributed high-purity cocaine across west Wales.

The court heard how, at the beginning of 2024, South Wales Police became aware of the RJ line operating in the city. This line was used to send bulk text messages to hundreds of recipients, advertising “fire”—a slang term for high-purity cocaine—and offering a delivery service. Despite the phone number being unregistered, data analysis revealed that it was frequently used to communicate with a large network of contacts, sometimes sending out messages to as many as 290 recipients at once.

The case against Rose and Jones began to unfold in an unexpected manner in April 2024. A group of off-duty officers from the western roads policing team were having a meal at the Turtle Bay restaurant in Swansea city centre when they noticed suspicious activity outside. A group of young people were gathered around an unregistered motorbike, and the officers, suspecting that the bike might be stolen, decided to intervene. When they approached, several of the youths attempted to flee, but the officers managed to apprehend them, including Jones, who was found to be carrying a mobile phone linked to the RJ drug line.

At first, the significance of the phone was not apparent. It was only after a detailed analysis of its contents that officers realised they had stumbled upon the nerve centre of a significant drug operation. Messages on the phone revealed the extent of the drug dealing activities, including the scale of distribution and the frequent communications between the dealers and their customers.

Further investigation linked the RJ line directly to Jones. Cell site analysis showed that Jones’ personal phone had co-located with the RJ line phone on 290 occasions between mid-February and early April 2024. Moreover, the RJ line’s SIM card had been used in Jones’ handset, providing irrefutable evidence of his involvement. It was also discovered that both the RJ line and Jones’ personal phone had been used to order taxis from his home in Mayhill and from his father’s address, further linking him to the operation.

The investigation then led police to Ben Rose, Jones’ cousin. Subscriber checks revealed that Rose had been in regular contact with both Jones and the RJ line, more frequently than with his own partner. This connection was further confirmed through data showing Rose’s phone had co-located with both the RJ line and Jones’ phone on multiple occasions. When police decided to arrest the two men on July 10, 2024, Jones was not at home, but he later surrendered himself to Swansea Central police station. Rose, who was on holiday in Turkey at the time, was arrested upon his return to the UK on July 22, 2024.

In court, it was revealed that Rose had a history of drug-related offences. In January 2022, he had been sentenced to 22 months in prison for drug trafficking and for smuggling prohibited items into HMP Parc near Bridgend. On that occasion, Rose and his accomplices had thrown socks filled with tobacco, mobile phones, chargers, drugs, and even miniature bottles of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Smirnoff vodka over the prison wall before leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen Range Rover. Despite this, Rose had tried to reform his life, working for his father’s scaffolding business and becoming a father himself. However, he was lured back into the world of drug dealing, a decision that would have dire consequences.

Jones, who also had a troubled past, was previously involved in the notorious Mayhill riots of March 2022. At the time, his identity was protected due to his age, but the riot was one of the most significant instances of civil disorder in Swansea in recent years. Jones had grown up in difficult circumstances, splitting his time between homes in North Wales and Swansea, and had struggled with drug addiction from a young age. His descent into dealing was driven by his need to support his cocaine habit after he lost his job.

During sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas KC addressed the defendants, emphasising that they had both known the severe consequences of getting involved in the supply of Class A drugs. He told them that they had gambled with their futures and had lost. The judge sentenced Rose to four years in prison and Jones to 28 months in a young offenders’ institution. Both will serve up to half of their sentences in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

The judge’s remarks underscored the gravity of the cousins’ actions and the impact that their involvement in drug dealing would have not only on their own lives but also on their families and the wider community. Rose’s young son, just a year old, and Jones’ attempts at rehabilitation and education were cited as examples of how their choices had repercussions far beyond their own immediate circumstances.

In a statement, South Wales Police praised the vigilance of the off-duty officers whose intervention had led to the arrests, highlighting the importance of community awareness and the role of law enforcement in tackling drug-related crime. The RJ line, which had been a significant source of cocaine in Swansea, was effectively dismantled thanks to the officers’ actions, and the conviction of Rose and Jones was seen as a significant victory in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in the region.