PONTLLIW: Man jailed over plan to hide drugs inside rope and ship them to New Zealand

A Pontlliw man who plotted with a contact known only as “The Baron” to hide drugs inside hollowed-out rope and ship them to New Zealand has been jailed for six years and nine months.

Gavin Smith, 44, a former plumber who was living in a caravan in Pontlliw, admitted conspiring to export ketamine and cocaine, along with a string of drugs and money charges.

Ketamine in rope: the plan with “The Baron” in New Zealand

Smith had been messaging “The Baron”, who appeared to live in New Zealand, on the encrypted Signal app, Swansea Crown Court heard.

He offered to supply ketamine at £2,000 a kilo. “The Baron” suggested smuggling it in shipments of rope, telling Smith to hollow out the core, force the drug in with an air compressor and vacuum-seal the lengths in bags, prosecutor Ian Wright said.

Smith said that if the plan worked, he had a contact who could get him five or six kilos of ketamine a week.

His contact asked for his crypto wallet details. On 1 April, the contact messaged to say the shipment of rope had arrived in New Zealand, the court heard.

Cocaine next, at £4,000 a kilo

The pair then discussed using the rope method for cocaine, with “The Baron” saying he had a contact in Manchester who could supply it.

They agreed £4,000 for every kilo packaged and sent to New Zealand, starting with two kilos a week and rising to four if all went well, the court was told.

In April, “The Baron” told Smith the cocaine would be delivered to him in three days. Smith replied that he was ready, but needed to buy a new shrink-wrap heater from B&Q.

There was no evidence that Smith ever sent any cocaine to New Zealand, the court heard.

Phone in the microwave: how the plot came to light

It all came out after officers went to Smith’s caravan on 28 March to arrest him over an unrelated matter.

Inside they found a vacuum-packed kilo of cannabis, along with ketamine, cocaine and the active drug in magic mushrooms, Mr Wright said.

There were also digital scales, a drug press hidden under the bed, coffee pods that appeared to be for storing drugs, and a coffee grinder with white powder in it that was being used to cut drugs, the court heard.

Smith’s phone was in the microwave. Its messages showed he had been dealing cannabis in half-kilo amounts for the past 10 years, the prosecutor said.

The phone also led officers to a storage unit Smith rented at Hendy Industrial Park. Boxes there were labelled with different strains of cannabis and held 15 vacuum-sealed one-pound bags of the drug, the court was told.

Officers also found £678 in cash and a notebook with what looked like 12 random words. They turned out to be the recovery phrase for Smith’s cryptocurrency wallet, which held £5,763, the court heard.

No comment in interview, and a “brief excursion” into Class A

Smith answered “no comment” to every question in his police interview, Mr Wright said.

He has four previous convictions for six offences, including violent disorder in 2009 and producing cannabis in 2020, when he was fined £200.

Hywel Davies, defending, said Smith had mainly supplied Class B drugs, apart from a “brief excursion” into Class A that the messages showed he had been “apprehensive” about.

Mr Davies said the dad-of-two was remorseful, and that the thought of being apart from his children for a long time was causing him considerable distress. He wants to go back to plumbing after his release, the court heard.

Six years and nine months, with two-thirds to be served inside

Recorder Paul Lewis KC said he had not asked for a pre-sentence report, because an immediate prison sentence was inevitable.

He had admitted conspiracy to export ketamine, conspiracy to export cocaine, being concerned in the supply of cannabis, possession of cannabis and of ketamine with intent to supply, possession of cocaine and of psilocybin, and two counts of possessing criminal property, the cash and the crypto.

Smith was given a quarter off his sentence for his guilty pleas. He will serve two-thirds of it in custody before being released on licence.

A proceeds of crime investigation into his finances will now begin, the court heard.

“He learned nothing”: what South Wales Police said

Detective Inspector Richard George, of South Wales Police, said Smith “learned nothing from the countless drug dealers put behind bars before him, and he will now be following in their footsteps”.

He said: “This is a satisfying and large sentence, which is exactly what involving yourself in Class A drugs will make happen to you.”

Earlier this month, the same officer spoke out after two men were jailed over a heroin and crack deal in Hafod.

Anyone who suspects drug dealing, or is worried that a young or vulnerable person is being targeted by organised crime, can call the force on 101. Reports can also be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.