Mother jailed for running drugs ‘pharmacy’ from home

A mother who ran a large-scale drug “pharmacy” from her home has been jailed for two and a half years.

Shalane Hodder, 36, of Philip Street, Trinant, imported drugs from Siberia and India and sold them using messaging service WhatsApp.

She was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on January 29, having pleaded guilty to 24 offences – including importing drugs, supplying class B and C drugs and possession with intent to supply drugs.

More than 90,000 tablets were found at Hodder’s home and at her caravan on Pen y Fan park, near Trinant, worth more than £112,000.

Between January and September 2019, the mother-of-one received nearly £150,000 for her exploits.

Hodder used the bank accounts of her partner, Laurie Parfitt, 31, of Philip Street, and brother Rhys Dee, 28, of Belvedere Close, Trinant, to launder money.

Parfitt and Dee both pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property.

Parfitt was given a 12-month community order and made to do 50 hours of unpaid work. Dee was also handed a 12-month community order, and given an electronicaly-monitored four-month curfew.

Police carried out a drugs raid at Hodder’s home in September 2019.

Detective Constable Isaac Gott, of Gwent Police, described the investigation into Hodder as “lengthy and complex”.

In a statement, DC Gott said: “Hodder was running this pharmacy from her own home in south Wales, supplying customers all over the UK and Ireland with drugs imported from India and Siberia.

“The devastation and destruction drugs have in the community cannot be underestimated and often goes unnoticed to those at the top of the organisational hierarchy.

“The removal of tens of thousands of Class B, C and psychoactive substances that could have flooded the streets will now be destroyed, and will go some way to disrupting the flow of drugs on our streets.”

He added: “Hodder sold these drugs purely out of greed to line her own pockets. She amassed a large financial gain from her supplying which was re-invested back into the illegal business and did so whilst claiming benefits.

“Gwent Police will relentlessly pursue those who supply any controlled drugs within our community.”

Mitigating for Hodder, Thomas Stanway told the court how the defendant wanted to provide financial security for her two-year-old daughter, having experienced a difficult childhood herself.

Mr Stanway also spoke about Hodder’s struggle with anxiety having been the victim of a homophobic attack aged 17, which led to a codeine addiction.