The so-called ‘MJ’ drug line recruited youngsters and younger adults as runners in a single a part of Cardiff
A prison gang who shared footage of their extravagant way of life are behind bars after a significant police operation in Cardiff. They had been filmed cooking crack cocaine, dealing with giant sums of money and took footage with a rented Lamborghini.
Nine folks have been jailed for a mixed whole of greater than 45 years for his or her roles in a significant medication community that operated from the Ely space of the town. The group, led by 26-year-old Ricardo Brown, ran the so-called ‘MJ’ drug line.
They recruited youngsters and younger adults as runners, usually utilizing e-bikes to ship medication and gather money. Don’t miss a court docket report by signing up to our crime e-newsletter right here
Their operation was lively primarily in Cardiff but in addition in different areas of south Wales, and is believed to have been working since 2020.
The arrests adopted an in depth investigation by the Cardiff and Vale Organised Crime Unit, a part of South Wales Police, referred to as Operation Sittella.
Officers gathered in depth proof, together with movies and pictures exhibiting members cooking crack cocaine, weighing medication, and dealing with giant sums of money.
One picture, taken from social media, included three members of the group – Brown, Levi Robson, and Jaydon Watkins – posing outdoors a rented Lamborghini.
Other photos additional demonstrated that Brown was producing an infinite amount of money and dwelling an extravagant way of life.
A radical investigation and overwhelming proof led to all 9 members pleading responsible to a number of medication offences. Their arrests in December 2024 introduced an finish to the MJ medication line.
The court docket additionally heard that the group’s actions had lethal penalties.
In June 2020, a buyer who had by no means tried heroin earlier than contacted the MJ line and bought heroin. Within 48 hours, she had died.
The reason for demise was recorded as ‘combined drug toxicity, together with heroin’, straight attributable to the MJ medication line, South Wales Police stated.
Brown and his accomplices had been sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, January 21, and Friday, January 22. The sentences are as follows:
- Ricardo Brown, 26, of Butetown, was the chief of the organised crime group for 4 years. He pleaded responsible to conspiring to produce class A medicine and was jailed for 12 years and 5 months.
- Dylan Stanger, 25, of Barry, who was Brown’s right-hand man, pleaded responsible to conspiring to produce class A medicine and conspiring with others to be involved within the provide of sophistication B drug, and was jailed for seven years and 9 months.
- Jaydon Watkins, of Ely, who operated a hashish provide line linked to the group pleaded responsible to conspiring to produce class A medicine and conspiring with others to be involved within the provide of sophistication B drug. He was jailed for 3 years.
- Sam Hatton, 18, of Ely, was a runner and street-level supplier for the group. He parted firm with the MJ line to arrange his personal drug line and pleaded responsible to conspiring to produce class A medicine, conspiring with others to be involved within the provide of sophistication B medication, and caring within the provide of cocaine. He was jailed for 5 years.
- Levi Robson, 24, of Ely, managed drug provide and directed runners. He pleaded responsible to conspiring to produce class A medicine and was jailed for 3 years and 6 months.
- Ieuan Coombes, 21, of Ely, who was concerned within the distribution of medicine past Cardiff and pleaded responsible to conspiring to produce class A medicine and caring within the provide of cocaine, was jailed for 3 years and eight months.
- Lewis Adams, 27, of Barry, provided wholesale portions of cocaine and supported the broader provide chain – he pleaded responsible to conspiring to produce class A medicine and was jailed for 4 years and 5 months.
- Thomas Haysham, 25, of Barry, pleaded responsible to conspiring to produce class A medicine and conspiring with others to be involved within the provide of sophistication B drug and was jailed for 5 years and ten months.
- Stacey Cassemis, 37, from Ely, who allowed the group to make use of her residence as a base for the preparation and cooking of crack cocaine and is the place officers discovered a kilogram block of cocaine acquired a two-year suspended jail sentence.
Speaking after the sentencing, senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Tim Jones from South Wales Police, stated: “This was a highly organised criminal operation with clear leadership and defined roles, driven entirely by profit and complete disregard for the harm caused to others.
“Ricardo Brown and his accomplices had been behind the availability of serious quantities of sophistication A and Class B medication.
“What makes their offences even worse is their exploitation of children – they didn’t think twice about putting them in danger and at serious risk, for their own greed and profit.
“The unhappy actuality is that the exploitation of younger kids by medication gangs is widespread observe – sellers will establish essentially the most susceptible in our communities and put them in hurt’s manner whereas working issues within the background.
“This is happening today, in communities across south Wales, and we all have a responsibility and a moral obligation to look for the signs of exploitation and act on them.
“In doing so, we’re placing the sellers behind bars but in addition rescuing and safeguarding kids who for no matter purpose have discovered themselves within the grip of what’s a depressing and harmful existence by the hands of criminals.”