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A man driving heroin and crack cocaine dealers around the streets of Swansea armed himself with an imitation firearm and a pick-axe handle, a court has heard.

The weapons were discovered when police intercepted an Audi which was being driven by Jason Maurice Ifold.

Searches of the two passengers in the car uncovered drugs and mobile phones with messages about dealing.

Police came across Ifold again some 18 months later when they used a chainsaw to force their way into a property in the city - and in the flat was the 36-year-old, along with drug dealers from London.

Six defendants were jailed at Swansea Crown Court as a result of the two incidents, the latest in a series of cases involving so-called "county lines" drugs dealers which involve organised criminal gangs from large English cities extending their operations into Wales.

Jim Davis, prosecuting, said on June 19 2017 police stopped an Audi car on Brynmelyn Street, Brynmelyn, Swansea, which was being driven by Ifold.

The passengers in the car - James Michael Osmond, who was just 17 at the time, and Sean Dennis McCabe - were searched.

The court heard Osmond had a Kinder egg container "in his genital area" which contained wraps of heroin, while McCabe had wraps of crack cocaine in his underwear.

Mr Davis said police recovered an air pistol and a handle from a pick-axe from the vehicle - he said the plastic air weapon had originally been a bright blue colour but had been painted black to make it look more like a real gun.

Police also recovered cash, and mobile phones containing messages relating to drug dealing.

The men were questioned and released.

How organised crime gangs are targeting Welsh towns and cities in county lines operations Organised crime gangs based in large English cities are extending their operations into small cities and towns around Wales using a method of working dubbed "county lines" by police. This involves gangs identifying vulnerable people in their target towns, then taking over their houses or flats though intimidation, drug debts or sexual violence, and using the properties as bases to deal drugs from. This part of the plan is known as "cuckooing". The gangs then install trusted operatives to oversee the local operations and use a network of local street dealers to carry out the transactions. Often vulnerable people are trafficked to the target towns to work for the gang – as happened when members of the notorious London gang Dem Africans transported a teenage girl to Swansea and held her prisoner in a flat in Penlan, forcing her to store drugs inside her body for them. Couriers are used to get the drugs to the target towns and then addicts use a mobile number controlled by the gang to place their "orders" which are delivered by local dealers.

Some 18 months later police again encountered Ifold, this time at a property in the Penlan area of Swansea.

The prosecutor said that early on the morning of February 5 2019 police raided a flat in Penlan Crescent, using a chainsaw and battering ram to gain entry.

With Ifold in the flat were Lee Anthony Bowden, the tenant of the property, Londoners Luis Filipe Batalha De Andrande e Sousa, and Kewsi Williams, and a fifth man against whom no further action would subsequently be taken.

(Image: South Wales Police)

The court heard police recovered wraps of heroin and crack cocaine from the property, more than £2,000 in cash, mobile phones with drug-dealing messages - including some from customers apparently

unhappy at the quality of the drugs supplied - and a samurai sword.

Ifold aged 36, of Richmond Park, Ystradgynlais, had previously pleaded guilty to supplying heroin and cocaine, and possession of an imitation firearm and possession of an offensive weapon when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Osmond, now aged 19, of Middle Road, Gendros, Swansea, and McCabe, aged 25, of Rodney Street, Sandfields, Swansea, had both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine.

Lee Anthony Bowden, aged 40, of Penlan Crescent, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of allowing a premises to be used for the supply of Class-A drugs.

Sousa, aged 26, of Maskell Road, Wandsworth, London, and 23-year-old Williams, of Swanwick Close, Wandsworth, London, had both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine.

The court heard Ifold has previous convictions for possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a bladed article, possession of heroin, possession of amphetamine, burglary, and theft.

McCabe has previous convictions for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, assault, assaulting a police officer, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and criminal damage.

Bowden has previous convictions for drink-driving, dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drugs, "repeated" driving while disqualified, burglaries, thefts, possessing ammunition without authority, possessing an offensive weapon, possession of heroin with intent to supply, supplying heroin, and escaping lawful custody.

Sousa has previous convictions for possession of an offensive weapon, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, handling stolen goods, and theft. He was subject to a suspended prison sentence at the time of the Swansea offences after hiding in a cupboard in a London hotel and jumping out and attacking with a hammer a man who had arranged to go to the room for a massage from a woman.

Neither Osmond nor Williams have any previous convictions.

Robert Chudleigh, for Ifold, said his client accepted he had been driving the drug dealers around in return for "preferential rates" on what they were selling.

He said his client had turned to Class-A drugs following the break-down of a relationship, and was remorseful for what he had done.

Dyfed Thomas, for Osmond, said his client had been just 17 at the time of the offending, and was fortunate to come from a "supportive family".

Once he had served the inevitable custodial sentence he was facing, the barrister said the teenager wished to return to his chosen line of work - roofing.

John Allchurch, for McCabe, said his client had been "struggling emotionally" at the time of the offending following the ending of a relationship, and had began using cannabis which developed into cocaine use which in turn developed into dealing to fund his habit.

Stuart John, for Bowden, said his client had had an "entrenched addiction" to drugs at the time of the offending but since his arrest his February had gone through a period of "enforced detoxification" in prison, and was ready to engage with any help that was available.

Lee Davies, for Williams, said the defendant had been a drug user in London who had run up "considerable debts" to dealers, and had been sent to Swansea to "work off" what he owed.

The advocate said his client wanted to spend his time in custody as productively as possible.

David Singh, for Sousa, said his client had "foolishly" agreed to get involved drug dealing as a way of earning money to pay off his student debts accrued while studying for a degree in biomedicine at the University of London.

Judge Keith Thomas said the Class-A drugs were a serious problem for the community, and sentencing guidelines made it clear that those involved in dealing in them could almost inevitably expect custody.

Ifold was sentenced to a total of 88 months in prison; Osmond to 32 months in a young offenders institution; McCabe to 40 months in prison, Bowden to 32 months; Williams to three years; and Sousa to 52 months which includes 12 months of the previously imposed suspended sentence for the incident where he attacked the man expecting the massage.

The judge ordered the money seized be given to South Wales Police to help in the fight against drugs.