A cocaine supplier was jailed for 14 years for his involvement in distributing an estimated £10m of the Class A drug.
Lee Fletcher, 41, of Foundry Lane, was sent down after admitting his role in moving more than 100 kg of the controlled substance over a nine-week period in 2020 around the UK including the to streets of south Wales.
Tarian, the regional organised crime squad for south Wales, arrested Fletcher in October 2021, and he later pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine in addition to storing and moving criminal cash gained from selling drugs.
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The street value of the cocaine supplied by Fletcher was estimated at around £10m, and such was the scale of the operation that a Tarian spokesperson said on one single occasion Fletcher was in possession of £2m he was minding for a gang boss.
At Cardiff Crown Court on December 10, Fletcher was jailed for 14 years.
Following Fletcher’s sentencing, Detective Inspector Gareth Grant said: “ The cross-border work of Tarian is exactly how we are able to bring perpetrators like Lee Fletcher to justice.
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“I hope that this sentence sends a strong message to those who think they are above the law, and who see drug dealing as a way to make quick and substantial amounts of money.
“It is only a matter of time until people like Fletcher are caught and we will work tirelessly, alongside our local police forces and law enforcement agencies across the UK, to ensure that they are.
“Drugs cause endless misery within our communities and we would urge anyone who suspects illegal drug activity in their community to come forward and tell us what they know.”
Reports can be made to the police via 101, or 999 in an emergency.
Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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