AN ASIAN-origin man is among three from the Midlands who were jailed for a total of more than eight years after police busted a County Lines drugs ring in Wales.
Ravi Talware, Daniel Higgins and Ben Walker all travelled from the west Midlands area to Llanelli, in Wales, to take part in an operation to supply drugs, including cocaine, heroin, synthetic cannabinoids and cannabis.
But they were caught after police spotted a local man named Damien Hearne, who police described as "a gopher."
All four men appeared before Swansea Crown Court for sentencing on July 5.
Talware, 29, of Quicksand Lane, Walsall, admitted two counts of conspiring to supply class A drugs and two counts of conspiring to supply class B drugs. He also admitted to having an offensive weapon.
Sentencing the four men, Judge Paul Thomas QC said: "Three of you came down from west Midlands to pedal vile drugs in Llanelli, a town which has had more than it's share of problems."
Talware was jailed for four and a half years, whilst Walker and Hearne were both jailed for three years. Higgins was jailed for 14 months.
Speaking after the sentencing, Dyfed-Powys Police detective sergeant Andy Clatworthy said: "I want to reassure the public across Carmarthenshire that we are working closely with partners to reduce drug misuse within our communities, to make it a less lucrative market for drug suppliers to operate in, and in doing so, make Carmarthenshire a safer place to live.
“I’d like to thank the public for giving us information so we can target drug dealers who take advantage of the most vulnerable in society.
“I encourage anyone with any information or concerns about drug misuse to contact us – as you’ve seen, we will take action.”
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