An organised crime boss who recruited his sons in a national cannabis operation worth thousands of pounds lived a lavish lifestyle including family holidays to Dubai.
Grandfather Jamie Germaine, 46, made thousands of pounds worth of profit through his drug dealing operation which saw more than 100kg of cannabis dealt over a seven-month period.
His two sons Tyrell Germaine, 23, and Shaquille Germaine, 21, also played significant parts in the enterprise, which was based at their father’s family home in Cardiff .
The three men and others who aided in the conspiracy were caught after an operation run by South Wales Police monitored Jamie Germaine’s home in Pepys Crescent, Llanrumney , from January to July 2018 with CCTV footage of movements to and from the house and telephone conservations recorded.
Upon the arrest of the Germaines and their co-defendants Danny Yau, 22, Qatip Puci, 33, Justin Smith, 45, and Ayman Nadeen, 54, more than £600,000 was seized by police which was believed to have been the proceeds of dealing cannabis.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday heard the force’s organised crime unit began a covert operation on January 1, 2018, at the address in Pepys Crescent.
Prosecutor Susan Ferrier said Jamie Germaine was the head of the south Wales arm of an organised crime group and lived with his wife, 14-year-old daughter, and co-defendant Yau.
She said Jamie Germaine was responsible for the buying, selling and transportation of cannabis which was to be sold on the streets of south Wales. He had substantial links across the country and was expected to make the most financial gain from the enterprise.
Over the course of seven months police witnessed frequent deliveries of laden laundry bags containing cannabis while other visitors would arrive empty-handed and leave with large packages.
Ms Ferrier said: “The south Wales arm of the operation was so large more than one stream of suppliers was required to keep up with the demand.”
While Jamie Germaine was head of the operation and played a leading role Puci was the main facilitator for cannabis which was brought by couriers, known by police as 'Neptune' and 'Venus', from London.
There were also regular deliveries from Halifax, Stoke-on-Trent, and other parts of the country.
Both Tyrell and Shaquille Germaine had significant roles in the operation and played a management function which involved assisting in deliveries.
Yau was involved in the distribution and selling of cannabis and would frequently oversee or assist in the unloading of bags at the address in Pepys Crescent. Nadeen made multiple deliveries of cannabis to Pepys Crescent as well as making collections.
Smith, who lived in a different house in Pepys Close, used his home as a safe house for Jamie Germaine and would frequently be seen bringing laden bags back and forth between his and Germaine’s home early in the morning.
On July 25 last year police officers executed warrants at numerous addresses in Cardiff including Jamie Germaine’s home in Pepys Close. Around £4,800 and 34g of cannabis skunk was found along with drug paraphernalia, a bayonet, machete-style knives, a crossbow, an air pistol, and two metal baseball bats. There was also designer handbags, shoes and purses.
Ms Ferrier said: “Jamie Germaine, during the period of these operations, was unemployed but was driving a Mercedes while his sons were driving a BMW and an Audi and they lived something of a lavish lifestyle paying for holidays to Dubai with £5,000 in cash.”
Puci’s home was also searched where police found around £7,600 in cash and €130. They also found designer clothes including a pair of jeans which cost £710 and receipts from abroad which included a Louis Vuitton receipt from New York.
When Smith’s home was raided they found around £47,000 in cash and half a kilogram of cannabis skunk.
Police released images of what they seized in the aftermath of the raids, which saw 100 search warrants executed:
Nadeen was arrested on July 19 when his vehicle was stopped on the A40 in Monmouth due to the smell of cannabis. Police found £10,000 in cash as well as a number of phones.
Following their arrests all the defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis except for Nadeen who was found guilty following a trial.
In mitigation Christopher Rees said grandfather Jamie Germaine had, in his own words, “broken his family in pieces” after recruiting both of his sons in the conspiracy. Mr Rees said his client was determined to change his ways in prison to become a good role model for his sons.
The barrister, also representing Tyrell Germaine, said his client became involved in the operation due to his father and had previously been of clean character and a good father to his daughter.
Jonathan Rees, representing Shaquille Germaine, said he had also been recruited by his father and had been exposed to organised crime since a young child and it had become “normalised” to him.
Lucy Crowther, representing Yau, said her client was “not a man you’d expect to be before the court” and had gone from someone who used cannabis occasionally to being caught up in a drug conspiracy which “would have been alien” to him. She said Yau was remorseful for bringing shame upon his family.
Felicia Davy, representing Puci, said he had a traumatic childhood in Kosovo during the war with Serbia and had seen his father shot and killed. He then moved to the UK at 16 years old as a political refugee.
Jonathan Webb, representing Smith, said there was a degree of exploitation by Jamie Germaine over his client and he was effectively the lowest in the chain. He said Smith became unemployed in 2011 which resulted in his family getting into debt and being evicted in 2018.
John Caudle, representing Nadeen, said his client was the sole carer of his young children and would ultimately lose his home if he was to be imprisoned.
These people were all jailed last month:
Sentencing, Judge Timothy Petts said: “During the trial it was said cannabis is the most profitable drug sold on the streets of the UK and when one sees the figures in this case it’s easy to see why that was so.
“This was a substantial conspiracy running over many months involving many people from wholesale deliveries to supply and high levels of profit were expected.”
Jamie Germaine, of Pepys Crescent, Llanrumney, was sentenced to six years and nine months imprisonment.
Puci, of Watkiss Way, Cardiff Bay, was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment.
Tyrell Germaine, of Pepys Crescent, Llanrumney, was sentenced to two years and five months imprisonment.
Shaquille Germaine, of Parracombe Crescent, Llanrumney, was sentenced to two years detention in a young offenders institute.
Yau, of Hastings Crescent, Old St Mellons , was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
Nadeen, of Ball Lane, Llanrumney, was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for 21 months and ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work.
Smith, of Pepys Crescent, Llanrumney, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 130 hours unpaid work.
