Cocaine, mephedrone and cash was seized by police
Members of an organised crime gang who plotted to supply millions of pounds worth of drugs have been jailed.
Police seized 12kg of "high purity cocaine" equivalent to 48kg of "cut cocaine" worth between £1.5m and £4.5m.
Cardiff Crown Court heard at least 36kg of mephedrone worth up to £300,000 was also seized.
Eleven of the 13 defendants from Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Rhondda Cynon Taff were jailed for drugs offences.
Ashley Burgham, 28, from Blaina was described as the head of the organisation with Michael Barnes, 32, from Abertillery, as his second in command who met national suppliers.
Others were couriers who supplied "downstream customers" and met suppliers.
Gwent Police also seized £205,494 in cash during the operation.
Originally, the gang met an Albanian crime group to get hold of drugs, but when this relationship ended, they turned to a supplier in Spain.
Det Chf Insp Roger Fortey said: "Officers carried out a meticulous enquiry to dismantle this sophisticated organised crime group.
"The defendants in this case were motivated by greed and profits and had convinced themselves that they were untouchable."
Drugs gang sentences
Ashley Burgham, 28, from Blaina, Blaenau Gwent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and mephedrone - 10 years eight months
Kyle Burgham, 33, from Blaina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and mephedrone - eight years
Michael Barnes, 32, from Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and mephedrone - eight years
Aaron Tony Pugsley, 29, from Abertillery, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and mephedrone - six years, eight months
Martyn Joel Wood, 29, from Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and mephedrone - six years, eight months
Paul Phillip Ratledge, 29, from Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine - five years, eight months
Corey Owen Davies, 32, from Abertillery, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply mephedrone and cultivating cannabis - two years, six months
Grant Coles, 34, from Abertillery, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply mephedrone - one year, four months
Ashley Martin, 27, from Cwm, Blaenau Gwent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply mephedrone - two years
Matthew Richards, 26, from Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taff, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply mephedrone - one year
Mark Bishop, 27, from Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply mephedrone - eight months, suspended
Nicholas Baker, 27, from Cwm, pleaded guilty to money laundering - 32 weeks, suspended
- Published11 December 2015
