Carmarthenshire: Two jailed after possessing £42,000 of heroin

Meirion Wyn Pollard (left) and Mackalia Rhoden were found in a flat with the heroin

Two people have been jailed for their part in a "county lines" operation after £42,000 worth of heroin was seized by police in Carmarthenshire.

Meirion Wyn Pollard, 35, and Mackalia Rhoden,18, both admitted possessing a class A drug with intent to supply.

They were detained in Llwynhendy on 2 February and Rhoden told police she was told by a man from Birmingham to sell the drugs, Swansea Crown Court heard.

Pollard was sentenced to four years in prison and Rhoden for 31 months.

Det Insp Rhys Jones, of Dyfed-Powys Police, told the court Rhoden had "stated to officers that she had been sent to Llanelli to sell drugs by a man from the Birmingham area".

"This significant statement added to our suspicions that this warrant had disrupted a county lines operation supplying drugs from the West Midlands into Dyfed-Powys," he said.

In total, the force found 1lb (0.5kg) of heroin in Rhoden's handbag at the flat in Heol Gwili, "with the rest separated into 40 wraps for onward supply".

A third person who was arrested during the warrant was released with no further action.

Just some of the "significant quantity" of heroin that was seized by the police force

Det Insp Jones said: "There have been approximately 10 deaths believed to have been caused by heroin overdoses in Carmarthenshire in the past 12 months, which shows the extent and seriousness of the problem we are facing."

He urged the community that "the force's policing priority is to target the ongoing national issue concerning organised crime groups from big cities bringing class A drugs to smaller towns to supply".

Ch Insp Jolene Mann added: "We hope this sends a message of reassurance to the people of Llwynhendy that the safety of their community is our priority."