SEVENTEEN people have been jailed after a successful operation by Dyfed-Powys Police officers targeting heroin and crack cocaine dealers in Mid Wales.
Operation Moose was a protracted investigation by officers from the Dyfed-Powys Police Serious and Organised Crime Team.
They conducted a covert investigation between the February 2019 and June 2019 that focused on the supply of Class A drugs in Newtown, Llandrindod Wells and surrounding areas.
More than £10,000 of heroin and crack cocaine were seized during the operation – 48.58g of heroin with the purity ranging between 26% and 67% and 3.49g of crack cocaine with the purity ranging between 61% and 100%.
DI Gareth Grant said:
“This result has come from a large-scale operation, including the use of undercover officers, that has seen us take a significant number of people out of a criminal group and helped safeguard vulnerable people in Powys.
“The sentences we have seen over the last few days show how seriously Dyfed-Powys Police takes drug trafficking.
“Dyfed-Powys Police will continue to seek justice against those who continue to commit such crimes in our communities.”
This comes on top of the 27 months in prison handed down to David Scott Pritchard, aged 31, of The Grange, Llandrindod Wells, in August last year for his part in this operation.
The sentencing of Georgina Church, aged 30, of Orchid Walk, Newtown, Carl Cowans, aged 39, of Orchid Walk, Newtown, and Craig Daniel Roberts, aged 30, of Ty Wesley, Wrexham, has been adjourned to a later date.
DI Grant added:
“There was a huge amount of activity behind this illegal operation so these results go to show the level of our investigation, which has made all but a few of them plead guilty because the case against them was so strong.”
Pursuing the individuals was only one element of the operation, and Dyfed-Powys Police worked closely with partners in healthcare as well as the local drugs support agency Kaleidoscope in Powys during the enforcement phase, and they were present throughout to provide support in respect of drug abuse, addiction and rehabilitation.
This sort of large scale operation is part of the partnership approach in Dyfed and Powys to tackle serious violence and organised crime. Project Diogel (meaning safe in Welsh) sets out how we and our partners are going to protect our communities together, making Dyfed and Powys safer and hostile to offenders.
But you are our eyes and ears, and therefore our plea to you is that you identify when something isn’t right in your communities and tell us about it. If it feels wrong, it probably is. Help protect your community, report it. You don’t have to be certain, just concerned.
More than £10,000 of heroin and crack cocaine were seized during the operation – 48.58g of heroin with the purity ranging between 26% and 67% and 3.49g of crack cocaine with the purity ranging between 61% and 100%.
Commenting further DI Gareth Grant said:
“This result has come from a large-scale operation, including the use of undercover officers, that has seen us take a significant number of people out of a criminal group and helped safeguard vulnerable people in Powys.
“The sentences we have seen over the last few days show how seriously Dyfed-Powys Police takes drug trafficking.
“Dyfed-Powys Police will continue to seek justice against those who continue to commit such crimes in our communities.”
More Stories
Conservatives’ Lack of Action on Obscene Energy Profits “Indefensible” says Welsh Lib Dems
New Audit Office Report on Poverty in Wales supports Plaid Cymru’s calls
Successful Operation targeting anti-social driving across Newport and Monmouthshire