'Trafficked teens used to build drugs empire'.
Byline: NAME IN HERE Title in here [email protected]TWO girls were trafficked to build a drug boss's empire by selling heroin and crack at a south Wales "safe house" as part of a PS500-an-hour business, a court heard.
Cardiff Crown Court heard the 17-year-olds from London, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were sent to sell drugs in Bridgend as part of a lucrative "county lines" operation.
Christopher Rees, prosecuting, said: "The defendants all conspired to supply heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Bridgend."
Kane Griffiths, Natalie Stephens, Robert Owen, and Ian Wilkins deny conspiring to supply Class A drugs and are on trial. The counts relate to the period between September 2018 and January this year.
Mr Rees said the defendants were intent on "flooding" Bridgend with drugs, adding: "This is a complex county lines conspiracy case." He told the court a county line organised itself like a business and had a name to make it recognisable to users, which in this case was "the Rogue Line".
The prosecutor said: "A county line is a business and organises itself like a business. It is an extremely lucrative business for criminals."
Griffiths, 22, from Coutts Avenue in Chessington - who called himself Romeo Kreed - denies conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
Prosecutors allege it is "crystal clear" Griffiths was operating the Rogue Line and looking to set up a safe house in Bridgend to deal drugs and "expand his empire". Griffiths, who was arrested on April 13 in Eastbourne, denies it was he behind the Rogue Line.
Mr Rees said Griffiths was responsible for recruiting the girls and getting them to travel to south Wales as couriers, then work in the safe house.
He told the jury London-based gangs recruit vulnerable young people and drug users as "cheap labour" and because they are easy to control.
Prosecutors said that allows those higher up the chain to distance themselves from day-to-day drug supply in the regions.
The court heard the girls were brought to south Wales on January 23 and seen on CCTV arriving at Bridgend railway station, where they were met by Wilkins and got into his car.
They were taken to Waunscil Avenue, in Bridgend - the home of 31-year-old Stephens, who also denies conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
Mr Rees said she allowed her home to be used as a safe house for drug dealing, adding: "She was an enthusiastic participant, the prosecution say, in the conspiracy." Police raided her home at 3.10pm on January 24 and an officer, who could smell cannabis, described her as "extremely nervous and agitated".
Police found the girls, who both had London accents, sitting on a bed, and one told them she was visiting her aunt.
The court heard officers searched the girls' bags and found a black BB handgun and pellets in one. They seized a bag of cannabis, cash and phones.
Mr Rees said the police moved a wardrobe and found 90 Cling Film wraps of crack cocaine at 64% purity worth PS1,800. They also found 23 wraps of heroin.
Stephens was arrested and said she had no idea there were any drugs in her house. She told the police Adam Harries, who has pleaded guilty, asked her if the girls could stay with her and she agreed as she felt sorry for them.
Mr Rees suggested her house must have been "like Piccadilly Circus" with customers coming and going, adding: "She must have known what was happening."
When she was interviewed by the police one of the girls said she was promised PS500 a day to work in Bridgend.
The girls were arrested but the Crown offered no evidence following an investigation by the National Crime Agency, which found they had been trafficked to sell drugs.
Owen, 56, from Tremains Road in Bridgend, denies conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
Wilkins, 42, from Westward Place in Bridgend, denies being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine and conspiring to supply them.
Harries, 36, from Heol Degwm in North Cornelly, Bridgend - known as "the farmer" - admitted conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
The case, presided over by Judge Richard Williams, continues. It is expected to last for two weeks.
CAPTION(S):
Ian Wilkins
<B Kane Griffiths
<B the defendants were intent on "flooding" Bridgend with drugs, claims the prosecution
 Printer friendly
 Cite/link
 Email
 Feedback
| |
| Publication: | Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales) |
|---|---|
| Geographic Code: | 4EUUK |
| Date: | Jul 25, 2019 |
| Words: | 733 |
| Previous Article: | Marronier to make most of his Sandown chance. |
| Next Article: | More suspects in court over OAP's crossbow killing. |
| Topics: | |