A SUSPECTED cocaine dealer admitted offering 'banging sniff' for sale after his mobile phone was analysed by detectives.

Erfan Kamber, 35, of Corporation Road, Newport, pleaded guilty to the class A drug trafficking charge before a judge at Cardiff Crown Court.

The defendant pleaded guilty to offering supply cocaine on February 13 2019.

Kamber had been due to face a retrial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine charges.

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The defendant had gone on trial with 11 other men earlier this year following Gwent Police’s Operation Washington investigation.

The prosecution decided not to pursue a retrial after Kamber pleaded guilty to the offering to supply cocaine charge.

Prosecutor Heath Edwards said the defendant had topped up a pay-as-you-go drugs phone and sent a text offering “banging sniff for sale”.

Kamber, the court heard, had spent nine months in custody after his arrest and trial.

His sentence was adjourned until July 3 for the preparation of a probation service report and he was granted conditional bail by Judge Richard Twomlow.

Seven men were convicted during the course of the Operation Washington case.

Aftab Hussain, 31, of Laburnum Drive, Newport, and Lewis Farrell, 21, of Herbert Walk, Pill, Newport, were found guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine between November 1 2018 and July 26 2019 after a trial.

Five other men - Parvis Ishaq, aged 30, of Cyril Street, Murtaza Hussain, aged 23, of Capel Crescent, Avatar Hussain, aged 26, of Bishpool View, Rizwaan Hussain, aged 23, of Llanthewy Road, all Newport, and Mohammed Ali, aged 38, of no fixed abode - pleaded guilty to the same charges during the early stages of the trial.

Mr Edwards said the seven were all part of a “successful and lucrative business” that used a central pay-as-you-go mobile phone line to meet the needs of hundreds of customers.

He told the jury of eight men and four women: “They all worked together as part of a conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine to drug addicts in Newport and beyond.

“Each defendant assisted in a different way. It was a successful and lucrative business. The telephone was a valuable commodity.”

He added that group text messages would be sent out to hundreds of drug addicts advertising products with prices and advising potential customers, “Hurry while stocks last.”

The court was told of how “text bombs or flares” were used to advertise class A drugs for sale to existing clients.

Drug users from all over South Wales would call the number, known as the ‘Goshi’ line, and place orders for heroin and crack cocaine before a “runner” would deliver the merchandise in return for cash after meeting them in Newport city centre, Mr Edwards said.

The number was contacted on average 234 times a day over a nine-month period.

The seven guilty men have been remanded in custody and are awaiting sentence.