Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court Sentencing Results

Elisha Mutsunge was linked to a parcel intercepted at East Midlands Airport on July 15, 2024, sent from Chicago and destined for an address in Cardiff, containing 1.1kg of cocaine. The intended recipient was arrested and his phone showed contact with a Snapchat account linked to Mutsunge, who directed delivery to the recipient. Mutsunge was arrested on December 10, 2024, found with 2.9g of cocaine and high-value clothing. Messages showed wholesale drug supply and a photo of his hand holding blocks of white powder. A search of his business premises found scales, cutting agents, vacuum packs, a blender with cocaine and heroin residue, and a hydraulic press. He was arrested again on March 21, 2025. The imported cocaine was valued at £27,000-£30,000 wholesale and £100,000-£113,000 street value.

David Price was identified through phone messages as involved in drug supply. Officers attended his address in Penywaun and recovered drugs and drug paraphernalia. He was part of a group supplying cocaine, cannabis and MDMA in the Aberdare area.

Ashley Clarke was identified as running a drugs line in the Penywaun area of Aberdare. In April 2026, police attended a property in Penywaun and he attempted to run from officers but was quickly arrested. Searches of the address recovered drugs, drug paraphernalia and cash.

During a police operation at a property in Penywaun in April 2026, Bradley Clarke-Wright approached officers and was arrested on an outstanding matter. A search found £10,000 in cash and a phone containing messages linking him to a drugs line. Further searches of the address found drugs, drug paraphernalia and cash.

Gareth Parry, a locum pharmacist, stole prescription drugs including diazepam, temazepam and tramadol from three pharmacies in south Wales where he worked between February and March 2025. CCTV footage captured the thefts, and a police search of his home found a substantial cache of prescription drugs. He initially denied the offences but later pleaded guilty to four counts of theft by employee.

Khalid Ali Ege managed an organised crime group operating from the Cardiff region that obtained Class A drugs from criminal contacts in the North West and West Midlands and distributed them across southern Wales. He coordinated couriers to transport narcotics into southern Wales and arranged meetings in Merseyside, the West Midlands and the Cardiff area. After co-conspirators were arrested, he left the UK in December 2019 and remained at large until being apprehended in Paraguay in December 2025. He was returned to Britain on January 8, 2026 and sentenced for involvement in manufacturing and supplying Class A narcotics, including cocaine and amphetamine.

Khalid Ege was the head of a Cardiff organised crime group that sourced multiple kilos of high-purity cocaine from suppliers in Liverpool and the Midlands for distribution throughout south Wales. In October 2019 he hosted an extravagant meeting with members of a Liverpool crime gang in London, including VIP hospitality at a Mayfair bar and tickets to a boxing match at the O2 Arena costing £1,400 each. He fled the UK in December 2019 after co-conspirators were arrested and remained a fugitive until December 2025, when he was detained crossing from Colombia into Paraguay using false documents and also carrying his expired British passport. He was extradited to the UK and pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Police executed a warrant at a property on the Glan Llyn estate in Llanwern in May last year and found heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine with an estimated street value of up to £88,000, along with £5,764 in cash, mobile phones and drug-related paraphernalia. Malachy Lothian was prosecuted and pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, namely cocaine, heroin and crack cocaine. He also admitted possession with intent to supply Class B cannabis and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property. He was sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

Police executed a warrant at her home on 28 May 2025 and found drugs with an estimated total street value of between £25,140 and £25,450. Phone evidence showed her son directed her to place prepared street deals into a beanie hat for collection in relation to seven grams of cocaine. She denied involvement in interview but later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine.

Christopher Phillips concealed the death of his mother in order to continue benefiting financially. Police attended his home in Porthcawl on February 17 following concerns for her welfare after she had not been seen by medical professionals since 2022 despite continuing prescriptions. He told officers his mother was in London with cousins but could not provide details. A search found the body of a woman in her 80s in a freezer with flowers laid on top. Phillips answered no comment in interview. A post-mortem examination did not determine a cause of death, and an inquest was due.

Rupali Wagh fraudulently applied for £216,250 in Bounce Back Loans for four companies between May and September 2020. She inflated business turnovers, obtained duplicate loans for the same company, transferred funds to personal accounts, and used the money to pay personal debts and buy stocks and shares. She initially tried to blame a third party before admitting she had acted alone.

Coran Davies, 23, from Porth, was involved in supplying cocaine and cannabis across the Rhondda valleys. The investigation began with a search warrant executed at a property in Treherbert on September 25, where an ounce of cocaine, cannabis, and drug paraphernalia were recovered. A phone linked to the address contained a dental selfie of Davies taken in Turkey, identified via facial recognition, and messages referencing drug supply. On March 7, 2025, Davies was arrested while driving a black Ford Fiesta in Tonypandy, with cocaine, cannabis, and thousands of pounds in cash found on him.

Dale Howell, 25, from Porth, was involved in supplying cocaine and cannabis across the Rhondda valleys. He was arrested on March 7, 2025, as a passenger in a black Ford Fiesta driven by Coran Davies through Tonypandy. Upon searching both men, officers found them carrying cocaine, cannabis, and thousands of pounds in cash. The case linked back to a search in Treherbert on September 25, where drugs were recovered from a related property.

Anis Bardich, 28, from West Luton Place, Adamsdown, Cardiff, was caught dealing heroin and crack cocaine on February 16, 2026, in Cathays, Cardiff. He was observed making drug deals on Richmond Road, near the Woodville pub, and outside Lidl on Maindy Road. Police seized 15 wraps of heroin and 94 wraps of crack cocaine with a street value of £1,090, a Nokia burner phone used to send 1,366 bulk text messages advertising drugs, and £160 in cash. Bardich, who fled Morocco in 2014 due to persecution for his sexuality, attempted to flee when approached by officers.

Luke Cable, 25, of Brynmawr, returned home on February 24, 2026, appearing under the influence of drugs with white powder visible beneath his nose. His father, concerned about his behaviour and believing he had a rock of cocaine, called the police. Officers found him in possession of a 46g rock of cocaine valued at £3,060 to £6,120 and a mobile phone containing messages linked to cocaine supply. Cable admitted consuming a large amount of the drug while trying to sell it to pay off debts.

Adam Hartery, 32, of Clos Yr Harbwr, Barry, was involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine. Exchanged messages with Greening about supplying 14g of cocaine, supplied directly to users seeking permission for 'tick' sales, attempted to recruit runners, discussed making 'quick profit', and stored drugs for Greening paid in drugs. Arrested 19 September 2025.

Daniel Laity, 31, of Barry, was involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine. Acted as runner for Greening supplying drugs to customers under direction, collected cash, and was sold wholesale quantities by Greening for onward supply. Arrested 19 September 2025.

Ryan Greening, 32, of Barry, was involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine. He supplied heavily adulterated cocaine to a youth, recruited and directed the youth as a runner to supply drugs and send bulk advertising texts, handled street deals of 0.5g to 3.5g, supplied wholesale ounce quantities to downstream dealers, supplied on credit and 'tick', and discussed drug debts. Arrested 19 September 2025.

Alex Jones, 31, of Bettws, Newport, was involved in drug dealing activities between 1 September 2025 and 29 December 2025. He sent mass text messages advertising cocaine for sale and distributed images of cannabis to potential buyers. Devices showed communication with an upscale supplier for purchasing cannabis. He was arrested on Christmas Day 2025 on Monnow Way in the Bettws area after attempting to flee from a vehicle as a passenger. Police found £655 in cash and two mobile phones with evidence of his activities. He became involved again due to a drug debt to higher members of the supply chain.

Adam Aviet, 37, was detained by officers outside the Etap Hotel in Cardiff on February 2, 2026, and told police that the drugs in a rucksack placed in a BMW by Gareth Morris belonged to him. A search uncovered 424g of cannabis in the bag, and Aviet was also found with 1g of cannabis resin.