Cardiff man who went on the run in March 2020 is jailed for 12 years

A Cardiff man who went on the run in March 2020 has been jailed for 12 years.

James Dean Connors from Splott was the principal member of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) involved in the supply of Class A drugs.

The OCG was discovered when a mobile phone was found at the scene of a road traffic collision involving an off-road bike in St Mellons, Cardiff, in June 2018.

The phone, which was handed into police by a member of the public, contained drug dealing messages and photographs of a block of white powder, believed to be a kilo of cocaine.

The cocaine, which was stamped with the Audi rings symbol and placed on a dinner plate, was estimated to have a potential street value of £100,000 if sold at £100 a gram due to its apparent high purity.

Following enquiries, it was established that the photos had been taken inside a flat in Greenway Road and a suspected Organised Crime Group was identified.

In December 2018, 10 search warrants were conducted across Cardiff which led to the recovery of approximately £40,000 worth of drugs, several thousand pounds in cash and multiple weapons including machetes and imitation firearms.

Connors, 27, went on the run after being charged but was arrested in late 2023.

He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, failing to surrender to custody and conspiracy to supply cocaine.

The latter charge was related to a separate investigation by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales.

He was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on February 16, 2024, to a total of 12 years' imprisonment.

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