More than 50 drug dealers have been arrested and are serving custodial sentences amounting to more than 165 years, as part of Operation Talon – a huge crackdown on Class A drug supply in Cardiff.
During an eight-month covert operation, undercover officers were deployed to the streets of Adamsdown, Butetown, Cathays, Canton, Grangetown, Splott and the city centre in response to concerns about visible drug dealing.
Up to 300 drug deals were seized along with £53k cash, 125 mobile phones, and a range of weapons.
Three men were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on 21 September, bringing the total number of people convicted to 58 serving a combined sentence of 165.5 years in prison.
Omer Mohamed, 22, and his brother Yaser Mohamed, 20, both from Grangetown, claimed they were victims of modern-day slavery and had been forced into supplying drugs around Cardiff.
But following a two-week trial they were found guilty of drugs offences.
Detective Inspector Grant Wilson, who led the operation for South Wales Police, said: “Operation Talon was launched as a direct response to concerns raised by the community about visible drug dealing on a daily basis which was affecting their quality of life.
“Undercover officers were deployed in areas such as the city centre, Butetown and Grangetown, where they found an open market for drug dealing.
“The feedback from the local community following the operation was fantastic. One member of the public approached a PCSO in the street to say that Butetown is unrecognisable.
“We are not naïve, we know that drug dealing is still taking place, but this operation has made a significant impact on that blatant dealing that communities were describing to us.”
DI Wilson added: “The results at court are testament to the dedication of every single officer involved in Operation Talon but does not end there.
“This is not a one-off – identifying, disrupting and arresting drug dealers who operate in our local communities remains a daily priority for us.
“We can, and regularly do, act upon the information provided to us by the public, so please keep it coming.”
(Source: South Wales Police)
