Gang ‘operated at higher tiers of the drug network’

A MULTI-MILLION-POUND co-conspiracy saw participants involved in the wholesale supply and purchase of class A drugs.

- PHILIP DEWEY

Police were able to track the scale of the operation after the leader of the conspiracy left detailed lists of drug transactions.

Robert Andrews Jr, 34, ran an organised crime gang based in Newport which purchased and supplied heroin and cocaine at industrial levels. The conspiracy ran for nine months between March and December 2023, with a total of 85kg of cocaine being sold.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard the quantity of drugs seized in an overt investigation by Gwent Police, came about after couriers were stopped and 3kg of cocaine, with an estimated vale between £69,000 and £90,000, was seized.

The drugs had a purity of around 80%.

On another date, £109,400 was seized from a cash courier, but this represented just one payment to Andrews’ suppliers.

Prosecutor Daniel Jones said: “The prosecution’s case is physical seizures were mere snapshots of the scale of the operation. Andrews kept details of the costs of what was sold, to whom, how he had paid, how much and to whom.”

On May 10, 2023, Andrews asked for and was sent a screenshot of a spreadsheet of the latest payments to his suppliers. Andrews made payment just shy of £650,000, which showed how busy and well paid the enterprise was.