Guilty of bid to flood area with Class A drugs
A MAN accused of trying to flood Bridgend with heroin and crack cocaine has been convicted of conspiring to supply Class A drugs.
Kane Griffiths denied the charges against him, but was found guilty by a jury following a three-week trial at Cardiff Crown Court and is due to be sentenced today.
Prosecutor Christopher Rees said London-based Griffiths was looking to “expand his empire”. The operation was dubbed the “Rogue Line”.
Adam Harries, 36, of Heol Degwm in North Cornelly, Bridgend, had already pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs and will be sentenced at the same time.
Ian Wilkins, 42, of Westward Place in Bridgend, was cleared of the conspiracy counts, but convicted of being concerned in supplying heroin and crack cocaine.
Robert Owen, 56, from Tremains Road, Bridgend, and Natalie Stephens, 31, from Waunscil Avenue, Bridgend, were found not guilty of the two conspiracy charges.
When he opened the case to the jury, Mr Rees said the defendants were intent on “flooding” Bridgend with drugs, adding: “This is a complex county lines conspiracy case.”
Prosecutors alleged it was “crystal clear” Griffiths was operating the Rogue Line and looking to set up a safe house in Bridgend to deal drugs.
Griffiths, 22, from Coutts Avenue in Chessington – who called himself Romeo Kreed – denied he was “Rogue”.
Mr Rees said Griffiths was responsible for recruiting two vulnerable teenage girls and getting them to travel to South Wales as couriers, then work in the safe house.
When she was interviewed by the police, one of the girls said she was promised £500 a day to work in Bridgend.
The girl told officers Harries asked them to make “promotional videos” showing bags full of drugs and wads of cash to encourage other young people to get involved with the Rogue Line.
She also told the police they made £500 within an hour of the safe house opening as people turned up to buy heroin and crack cocaine.
The girls were arrested but no evidence was offered following an investigation by the National Crime Agency, which found they had been trafficked to sell drugs.
Judge Richard Williams said to the jury: “Thank you very much for your patience and attention during this trial.”
Millie Davies, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Drug dealers and gangs from large cities often use smaller towns as a way to expand their criminal activities.
“South Wales Police provided detailed evidence, allowing us to present a case leading to these verdicts.”