Gang caught with £400k of cocaine and £25k of cash jailed for a total of 31 years

Five members of an organised crime gang, caught with £400,000 worth of cocaine and £25,000 cash, have received a combined jail term of 31 years.

Ryan Sage, 29, Devon Williams, 26, Corey Hughes, 26, Dominic Drinkwater, 20, and Presley Power, 22, were responsible for supplying cocaine, crack cocaine and cannabis in the Newport area.

All five defendants admitted to conspiring to supply a class A controlled drug – cocaine, conspiring to supply a class A controlled drug – crack cocaine, and conspiring to supply a controlled drug of class B – cannabis, when they appeared for sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday May 2

During Operation Dagger, Gwent Police seized almost 4kg of cocaine with a street value of £400,000, £25,000 cash, class B drugs, and a car after carrying out raids in Newport, Risca, Crosskeys, and Cardiff in September last year.

The court heard that Sage and Williams were the leading members of the group, directing and organising the supply of the class A and B drugs, through multiple drug lines, between Risa and Rogerstone.

Detective Constable Jasmin Power, of Gwent Police, said: “I would like to thank everyone who played a role in Operation Dagger, a lengthy and thorough investigation, which uncovered a wealth of evidence.

“This organised crime group caused havoc while they supplied illegal drugs to customers between Risca and Rogerstone during all hours of the day and night.

“I would like to pay tribute to members of the Rogerstone community, in particular, who provided us with vital information to help bring these five defendants to justice.

“Illegal drugs fill our communities with misery, suffering and fear and those who prey upon the vulnerable in our society, like these five criminals, are driven by profits; they do not care about the pain they cause.

“The public have an important role to play in providing information that can assist us in dismantling county lines drugs lines and safeguarding vulnerable individuals.”

• Sage, of Austen Close, Llanrumney, Cardiff, was jailed for nine years and eight months,.
• Williams, of Tredegar Street, Risca, was sentenced to eight years and two months.
• Hughes, of Alcock Close, Newport, was jailed for five years and seven months.
• Drinkwater, of Llanarth Square, Pontymister, Risca, received four years and ten months imprisonment.
• Power, of Ebenezer Drive, Newport, was sentenced to two years and nine months.

An previous version of this article incorrectly stated it was £35,000 in cash seized in the headline.