A total of 20 men and women behind a £19million Aberdeen drug ring have been sentenced.
Officers cracked the UK-wide conspiracy after intercepting nearly £300,000 of substances entering the north-east.
More than 2.7kg of high-purity cocaine was seized during the investigation led by Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Team.
Detective Sergeant Rhys Jones, deputy senior investigating officer, said: “Our operation started in the south Wales area.
“We identified that there was an upstream group of individuals who had based themselves in Merseyside, controlled by a guy called Ian Edwards.
“When we looked into him, we found he had all sorts of supply network chains up to Aberdeen.”
A vehicle carrying cocaine and cannabis was stopped on its way to the Granite City.
Det Sgt Jones said: “We liaised with Police Scotland and took over that operation and incorporated it as part of our own.
“Five individuals were linked to the conspiracy between Merseyside and Aberdeen which formed part of Operation Phobos.
“Most of them were based in Merseyside, however, Stephen Mudd was the individual placed in Aberdeen.
“He’s got family and links there. He lived in Aberdeen to facilitate and control the drugs coming in.”
Four trials have been held at Swansea Crown Court and significant sentences were given to those involved.
Mudd, 27, was given an 11-year sentence, Andrew Curphey, 37, who was arrested in Aberdeen, was given a seven-year sentence and Edwards, 30, was sentenced to 14 years.
