£33k cash seized & five people arrested in a series of Cardiff warrants to tackle drug dealing

Five people have been arrested and £33k cash has been seized in a series of warrants in Cardiff as part of an ongoing effort to tackle drug dealing.

Seven addresses in Ely, Caerau, and Culverhouse Cross, including Heol Poyston, Gwern Close, Heol Trelai, Marguerites Way, Hengoed Close, and Haverford Way, were raided as part of an investigation into a County Lines operation.

County Lines is the name given to drug dealing where criminal groups use phone lines to move and supply drugs.

They exploit vulnerable people, including children and those with mental health or addiction issues, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs.

This is often referred to as ‘drug running’. Criminals may also use a vulnerable person’s home as their base of operations. This is known as ‘cuckooing’.

Detective Inspector Tim Jones, from South Wales Police, said: “We are committed to combatting drug dealing and County Lines which preys on the most vulnerable people in society.

“As always, we are grateful to our communities for their patience and support while our officers carried out the warrants and arrests, and we would encourage those residents whose lives are blighted by the illegal activities of their neighbours and residents, to continue reporting their concerns and suspicions.

“Enforcement activity like that on Friday shows that we do act on information provided to us, and we will be relentless in targeting those involved in the supply of drugs.”

As well as cash, officers also seized significant quantities of crack and heroin and several mobile phones.

Of the five people arrested, two men were released under investigation and the following were charged and remanded in custody.

• Gabrielle Crumb, 28, from Ely, charged with being in possession of crack cocaine and heroin.
• Jayden Williams, 18, from Culverhouse Cross, charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.
• Anthony Lovering, 47, from Caerau, charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

South Wales Police has a zero-tolerance approach to drug dealing and this investigation is just one example of how we are tackling drug dealing in the community.

We can, and regularly do, act upon the information provided to us by the public, so please keep it coming.

Anyone with suspicions or information about illegal drug supply is urged to contact us.

To learn more about County Lines and the signs to look out for, visit https://www.south-wales.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/cl/county-lines/