Campsite shuts over sewage contamination
MEMBERS of an organised crime group (OCG) which dealt wholesale amounts of cocaine throughout South Wales have been ordered to pay back more than £300,000.
Cocaine worth a total street value of £400,000 was recovered by a police operation.
Joshua Matthews, 27, headed up the OCG, having bought drugs from several upstream suppliers.
He was seen by police receiving a bag containing 4kg of cocaine from associate Vincent Aquilina, 25, at an address in Cardiff on July 21 last year.
Matthews placed the bag in a Range Rover, but was arrested a short time later on the A4119 in Miskin following a police chase which caused damage to 20 cars and caused injuries to people on the road.
The bag of cocaine was recovered
From left, Joshua Matthews, Kaid Mohamed and Vincent Aquilina
and the address in Cardiff was searched where a further 1.5kg of cocaine and 3kg of cannabis bush were discovered.
A phone linked to Matthews was examined and was found to contain text messages with evidence of significant drug dealing.
The investigation, named
A DECADES-OLD campsite on the outskirts of Cardiff has had to close due to a long-running leak which has left the land contaminated.
Miskin Mill Scouting Village in Pontyclun closed three months ago following advice from the council after a mains pipe running under the soil eroded.
There are now several breakages in the pipe which runs across the fields and has caused the site to become sodden and smelly with dirty water. Welsh Water has put up metal fences preventing people from approaching the area due to it being unsafe.
Graham Robinson, who volunteers at the site by helping with maintenance, said the pipe’s first breakage was 17 months ago and little has been done since.
“The land has been contaminated for 17 months and we were able to work around it and still take some campers but now environmental health has advised we close and quite rightly because we can’t have anyone becoming ill,” he said.
“We have lost all our revenue streams through no fault of our own. We’re 17 months on and it’s now got to a point where we’ve had no choice but to stop taking any visitors at all. Nothing is happening here anymore.”
A spokesman for Welsh Water has apologised to Miskin Mill and said the matter will be resolved as soon as possible.
“The pipe has broken up,” Graham said. “It’s a cast-iron pipe and is so old the vibration of the pipe with the water rushing through it, it’s wearing thin and breaking up.
“When it was just the odd one or
Operation Cruz, was carried out by Tarian, the regional organised crime unit for South Wales.
Joshua Matthews, of The Drive, Miskin, Pontyclun, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and dangerous driving.
Vincent Aquilina, of Grand two breakages they were talking about repairing it but now there’s talk about relaying the whole system, which would mean excavating the whole thing. In the meantime it’s all leaking out everywhere and we don’t know how dangerous the contamination is.
“No revenue is coming in any more and we have bills to pay. And at the moment our electricity and gas bill is quite high. It’s a terrible situation.”
The campsite is used mostly by schools and Scouts groups for weekend trips. It’s typically booked up
Avenue, Ely, Cardiff, was sentenced to seven years and three months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Kaid Mohamed, 39, of Heol Poyston, Caerau, Cardiff, was sentenced to 11 years and six months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard Matthews benefited to the tune of £153,550 from dealing, but only had assets worth £119,900.
He was ordered to pay that sum within three months or serve nine months’ imprisonment in default.
Mohamed was found to have benefited by £192,500, and has assets of that figure.
He was ordered to pay the sum within three months or serve 20 months’ imprisonment in default.
Aquilina was found to have during the school holidays and other times of the year.
“We had to close it because it is just too dangerous,” Graham added.
“The fence isn’t going to stop a really inquisitive child, is it? And imagine if something happened – we’d be slated. So we’re powerless.
“The worst of it is that we don’t know the timescale. We’ve been told it could be next year.”
A spokesman for Welsh Water, which is responsible for the pipe, said: “We firstly would like to apologise for the inconvenience that has been caused by the ongoing situation at benefited by £750, but only has assets worth £510.
He was ordered to pay that sum within three months or serve two months’ imprisonment in default.
Following the initial sentencing Detective Chief Inspector Lloyd Williams, of Tarian ROCU, said: “These men were intent on allowing vast quantities of Class A drugs to permeate the communities of southern Wales.
“Thanks to the relentless efforts of a dedicated team of investigators, they were apprehended and have subsequently been handed significant sentences.
“It is hoped that these sentences will serve as a deterrent to anyone else who is involved in, or thinking of becoming involved in, the dealing of drugs.” at Miskin Mill Scouting Village.
“We appreciate it has taken time to establish a way of resolving the matter but we had to ensure we carried out all of the necessary investigations first to identify the best solution.
“We are now in the final stages of planning the work to resolve the matter and will be liaising with the owners shortly to explain everything to them.
“We would like to thank them for bearing with us and assure them we will get the work completed as quickly as we can.”