A DRUGS gang who flooded the streets of South Wales with cocaine, heroin, amphetamine and cannabis worth nearly £5 million were jailed for more than 54 years.

Key player Jay Abdul, 39, from Barry, was locked up for 19 years and six months, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs and firearm offences.

The other six gang members received the following sentences after they admitted conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs:

South Wales Argus:

Jay Abdul

Naisha Hembury, 35, from Barry, sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Marc Harris, 31, from Barry, locked up for seven years and four months.

Ryan Hales, 28, from Penarth, jailed for 11 years and three months.

Max Smith, 25, from Penarth, jailed for five years and three months.

Aysha Ali, 36, from Birmingham, sentenced to four years and six months in prison.

Neesha Ali, 40, from Cathays, Cardiff, jailed for three years and nine months.

They were brought to justice as a result of work by officers from Tarian, the regional organised crime team for southern Wales, who launched Operation Dorado.

South Wales Argus:

Naisha Hembury

Detectives uncovered chats on the dark web about buying and importing firearms and silencers.

Firearms and ammunition were forensically linked to Abdul.

South Wales Argus:

Marc Harris

It is estimated the amount of drugs trafficked by the gang during the investigation and encrypted drug deal chats that were cracked were 70kg of cocaine (£3.5m), 30kg of heroin (£960,000), 96kg of amphetamine (£384,000) and 19kg of cannabis (£98,800).

South Wales Argus:

Max Smith

After the seven defendants were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, Detective Inspector Gareth Grant, of Tarian, said: “The safeguarding of our communities will always be our priority.

South Wales Argus:

Neesha Ali

“Whilst the seizure of the firearms during this investigation is very disturbing I want to reassure people that guns like this are, thankfully, very unusual here in south Wales.

“Such was the weight of evidence against the majority of these defendants they that he had no option but to enter guilty pleas.

South Wales Argus:

Ryan Hales 

This is down to the hard work and dedication of my investigation team.

“The success of this investigation demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue those involved in large scale criminality to ensure effective justice is sought against such individuals and they are brought to justice.”

South Wales Argus:

Aysha Ali

Nicola Rees, from the CPS, said: “The strength of evidence presented by the CPS resulted in guilty pleas from the group.

“Their activity was on a commercial scale, with wholesale quantities of drugs destined for the streets of south Wales.

“The group’s attempt to evade the law by using encrypted phones was ultimately unsuccessful.”