Man sentenced to eight and a half years for heroin supply

Essac Ali, has been jailed for eight and a half years after he was found in possession of up to £2.2m worth of heroin and crack cocaine. 

Ali, 35, was arrested in Cardiff on March 8 after he was forced to stop his car by a three-car box manoeuvre, after making attempts to escape. 

Searches subsequently carried out at addresses linked to Ali in Cathedral Road, Cardiff, and Barry led to the recovery of a significant quantity of Class A drugs concealed above a suspended ceiling and £37,320 cash hidden underneath the bed at the Barry address.

In total over 17kg of heroin and 4kg of crack cocaine was recovered along with the cash. The wholesale value of the drugs was calculated between £300,000 and £438,000 but they would have had an ultimate street value of up to £2.28m. Ali pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of criminal property.

Detective Constable Joe Lewis commented:

"This was one of the largest ever seizures by South Wales Police. The vast quantities seized suggest this was part of a significant operation and this heroin and cocaine would have ultimately been destined for the streets of South Wales.

Drugs are a blight on local communities and the prosecution of Essac Ali demonstrates South Wales Polices commitment to disrupting organised crime groups, removing drugs from our streets and bringing those involved to justice."