The Greater Manchester drug dealers who flooded Wales with £72m of heroin and crack

An organised crime gang was involved in a 'industrial scale' conspiracy to supply tens of millions of pounds of heroin and cocaine from Bolton into south Wales.

On one occasion, a member of the gang was found in possession of 5kg of heroin after delivering the cash in a crane, WalesOnline reports. Kerry Evans, 35, of Merthyr Tydfil, was the 'orchestrator' of the enterprise which involved huge amounts of money involved.

Speaking at a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Andrew Jones said: "It involved various people in different roles, at different points of time, and geographic locations, who came together to engage in drug dealing on a colossal scale and vast amounts of money."

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There was a widespread distribution network between the north of England and Merthyr Tydfil, with members of the gang ranging from those at the top of the supply chain to the bottom. During the course of an investigation by regional organised crime unit Tarian, almost 10kg of cocaine and 5kg of heroin were seized with a potential street value of in excess of £1.5m.

Mr Jones said: "There were people in place at many different levels from couriers and dealers to those responsible for the larger almost wholesale distribution and storage of class A drugs, to those at the top of the enterprise responsible for the movement of millions of pounds worth of class A drugs."

Over the course of 12 months, Evans boasted he was involved in the sale of 600kg of either heroin, cocaine, or a combination of the both. An estimated wholesale valued of this amount was value between £13.8m and and £19.2m. If broken down into street deals, the estimated value of the drugs was between £64m and £72m.

Evans was described as a 'regional manager' and was 'at the very top of the hierarchy' in the gang. He was the 'focal point' of contact of many of the drug deals, and was in contact with the majority of the defendants in the case.

Lloyd Jones, 30, of Merthyr Tydfil, was a trusted member of the enterprise and provided logistical support. He was discovered in possession of 5kg of heroin in March 2023 by police after he had used a crane to make the pick up.

The heroin was supplied by Jason, 47, and Heather Flannigan, 42, who had travelled from their home in Bolton. They worked for an upstream supplier which supplied drugs to Kerry Evans, and delivered drugs on behalf of their employers.

Ricky Griffiths, 39, was a trusted associate of Lloyd Jones and worked alongside him handling cash and drugs. Christopher Wray, 31, lived in Merthyr Tydfil and was employed by the organised crime group as a courier and tasked with distributing controlled drugs throughout south Wales. He was also employed as a driver.

Alex Davies, 27, who was also based in Merthyr Tydfil, acted as a courier and was observed attending addresses in Merthyr Tydfil, Bristol and Leeds as part of his duties. David Haliwell, 40, travelled to Merthyr Tydfil from Bolton on two occasions and accepts he delivered drugs for upstream suppliers.

Claire James, 37, provided a safehouse at her home in Merthyr Tydfil, and assisted by weighing the drugs for onward distribution. Leon Owen, 29, was seen travelling from south Wales to London where he picked up a bag from a jewellers' in Hatton Garden. He then travelled to Bolton where the bag was exchanged with a woman. He also travelled up to Bolton on a second occasion.

Asim Syed, 45, met with Kerry Evans and Wray in a blue Toyota Yaris in January 2023. He was later stopped by police in Reading and found in possession of £98,970 in cash. His phone was seized and 1,098 messages to members of the gang were discovered.

Kerry Evans, of Roberts Avenue, Penydarren, pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to 14 years and five months imprisonment.

Lloyd Jones, of Gwladys Street, Pant, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to eight years and 10 months imprisonment.

Jason Flannigan and Heather Flannigan, of Pinfold Close, Westhoughton, Bolton, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and offering to supply class A and B drugs. Jason Flannigan also pleaded guilty to concealing criminal property. Jason Flannigan was sentenced to seven years and eight months imprisonment. Heather Flannigan was sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment.

Ricky Griffiths, of Chase View, Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to seven years and one month imprisonment.

Christopher Wray, of Haydn Terrace, Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to seven years and six months imprisonment .

Alex Davies, of Oak Road, Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

David Haliwell, of Merehall Drive, Bolton, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to six years and seven months imprisonment .

Leon Owen, of Plas Road, Grovesend, Swansea, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to seven years and nine months imprisonment.

Claire James of White Street, Dowlais, pleaded guilty to three counts of of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. She was sentenced to seven years and 10 months imprisonment.

Asim Syed, of Southbury Road, Enfield, London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to acquire criminal property and conspiracy to conceal criminal property. He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Following the hearing, Det Insp Vinnie Easton from Tarian ROCU said: "We welcome the sentences given to these men and women for their roles in smuggling and selling very significant amounts of class A drugs in south Wales. This thorough investigation uncovered a major drug conspiracy and is a great example of the detailed work carried out to combat this kind of organised crime. Illegal drugs have no place in our society, and the offenders in this operation were part of an organised criminal gang who caused harm and misery in our communities through the supply of drugs."