POLICE caught a drug dealer after they were given a lead that they should be looking for a criminal nicknamed 'Buddha'.

When officers tracked scrap merchant dealer Anthony Hunt down just before Christmas, they found 16 cannabis plants growing in the attic of his Caerphilly home.

Prosecutor Andrew Davies said: “The defendant was identified as a result of investigations into far more serious matters, class A drugs EncroChat matters.

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“Two gentlemen who were identified there made reference to having being supplied some drugs by a contact they named as 'Buddha'.

“A significant amount of work was done by the police in order to identify the person who was Buddha, and that was traced to this defendant.”

South Wales Argus:

Anthony Hunt spent Christmas behind bars after being remanded in custody when police found this cannabis crop. Picture: CPS

When he was interviewed by detectives, he admitted he had supplied 500g of the class B drug.

Family man Hunt had been remanded in custody over last Christmas and had served two months on remand in prison before being released on tagged curfew.

The defendant, 37, of Heol Fawr, Penyrheol, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis and production of cannabis.

Hunt has six previous convictions for 19 offences which included robbery and driving offences.

He had no relevant convictions.

Eugene Egan, representing him, said in mitigation that his client had pleaded guilty to the offences at the very first opportunity.

Hunt runs a scrap metal business and has employees, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

The judge, Recorder Christian Jowett, told him: “You were involved with others in the supply of large amounts of cannabis in the Newport area with the use of encrypted mobile telephones.

“In February 2021, another man involved was arrested and your involvement was identified from analysis of his mobile phone.”

Hunt was jailed for 10 months, suspended for 18 months.

The defendant was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the community and complete an eight-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He is due to face a proceeds of crime hearing this summer after “unexplained amounts of money were found in his bank account”.