Ringleader and drug smuggling gang jailed

An organised criminal gang which smuggled millions of pounds worth of cannabis from the US into south Wales through the post have been jailed.

The operation was led by 28-year-old Abubakr Khawar from the Riverside area of Cardiff, who was sentenced to eight years at the city's crown court on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Roger Griffiths described the 11-strong gang's operation as "drug importation and supply on an industrial scale".

Border Force intercepted 327kg (721 lb) of the drug with a street value of £11m, but the court was told at least 58 consignments did get through.

Khawar was seen in videos with 0.45kg (1lb) packs of cannabis, known as "cali packs" - being split ready for 3.5g street deals.

The court was told Khawar received instructions from a man known as Adam Z in the US who was orchestrating the operation, sending the drugs from seven different US states including California, New Jersey, Colorado and Ohio.

Some of the drugs were sent from the US in packages marked as Yankee Candles.

The court heard the gang was making a profit of between £3,000 and £10,000 per day.

The gang's second in command Mohammed Nural Hussain, 29, from Cardiff was sentenced to six years in prison.

The group's ringleader Abubakr Khawar was sentenced to eight years behind bars

Cardiff Crown Court judge Eugene Egan said he was instrumental to the storage of the drugs in a stash house in the Riverside area of the Welsh capital and the distribution chain.

He said Hussain played a significant role in the organisation, ensuring the "cogs in the machine worked", collecting and storing the drugs.

The court was told he was financially motivated by the need to clear debts.

When he was arrested, £7,000 in cash was found in his house.

Gang members who were sent packages through the post also received significant sentences.

Judge Egan said: "It is too simplistic to say 'all I did was receive a small amount of cannabis through the post'.

"This was a well-run, well-organised and extremely profitable business."

The court heard 8kg (17.6lb) of drugs with a street value of £164,000 was intercepted before it could be delivered to Soloman Bertram, 36, from Cardiff, who was sentenced to 22 months in jail.

He was recruited by his girlfriend and fellow gang member Sophie Jones.

Judge Egan told the father of six: "You could have told her no, but greed got the better of you.

"You thought this was easy money. That must look foolish now."

Kyle Solowyk, Daniel Marshall and Abubakr Khawar had all previously pleaded guilty to three charges

Gang members who were sent packages through the post received significant sentences

The court was told Sophie Jones also persuaded her own brother Keiran Jones, 29 to get involved.

About £277,000 of cannabis destined for his address in Cardiff was stopped by detectives.

Jailing him for 26 months, the judge said: "You became involved at the bidding of your sister Sophie Jones.

"You had a drug problem."

Sophie Jones, 32 will be sentenced next month.

Steven Munroe, 45, from Cardiff, had five packages sent to his home, but only one arrived, the other four were halted by detectives.

He was jailed for 32 months.

The court was told about 2kg (4.4lb) of cannabis sent to two addresses used by Kyle Solowyk, 29 from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. He was sentenced to 34 months in prison.

He refused to provide the PIN for his phone when he was arrested and had a previous conviction for robbery in 2015.

He had spent nine years in a young offenders institution.

Described as a trusted member of the gang, Sean Montgomery was sent by ringleader Abubakr Khawar to a Royal Mail sorting office at Holton Road in Barry to track down 10 missing parcels of drugs representing a loss of £60,000.

Sean Montgomery, Steven Munroe, Mohammed Nurul Hussain and Abdu Husain were found guilty of smuggling cannabis labelled as "Yankee Candles"

The court heard Khawar and his US supplier Adam Z were becoming increasingly irritated by the number of parcels disappearing.

They had in fact been intercepted by the police and Border Force officers.

Sean Montgomery took photos of himself sitting in his car with cannabis valued at around £20,000 on his lap.

Jailing him for three years and six months Judge Egan said: "You were showing off about your drug dealing.

"The decision to take the photograph is not so sensible now."

He also had previous convictions for the possession and supply of category A drugs diamorphine and crack cocaine.

Andrew Pethers, 36, from St Mellons in Cardiff, was also described as a trusted gang member who played a key part in the supply chain, updating the leader about the distribution of the drugs.

A 3.2kg (7.05lb) shipment of high grade cannabis was also intercepted before it could reach his home. He was jailed for three years.

Fellow gang member Daniel Marshall, 40, from Merthyr Tydfil, a father of two teenagers with a gambling addiction, was jailed for 32 months.

Abdu Husain, 28 from Cardiff was described as being "trusted and instrumental in the supply chain", and as being particularly aware of law enforcement tactics.

He was jailed for six years.

Sophie Jones, Andrew Pethers, Keiran Jones and Solomon Bertram had all previously pleaded guilty to three charges

The full list of all 11 defendants:

• Abubakr Khawar, aged 28, of Despenser Street, Riverside, Cardiff

• Daniel Marshall, aged 40, of Perrott Street, Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil

• Andrew Pethers, aged 36, of Drawlings Close, St Melons, Cardiff

• Sophie Jones, aged 32, of Cwrt Sanqhuar, Splott, Cardiff

• Kyle Solowyk, aged 29, of Elizabeth Avenue, Barry

• Keiran Jones, aged 28, of Pendwyallt Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff

• Solomon Bertram, aged 36, of Malvern Drive, Llanishen, Cardiff

• Mohammed Nurul Hussain, aged 28, of Ninian Park Road, Riverside, Cardiff

• Abdu Huriara Husain, aged 28, of Clos Parc Morgannwg, Leckwith, Cardiff

• Sean Montgomery, aged 24, of Uplands Road, Rumney, Cardiff

• Steven Munroe, aged 44, of Cwrt Sanqhuar, Riverside, Cardiff