A DRUGS kingpin who headed a gang that brought £5 million worth of cocaine and heroin into Newport was masquerading as a legitimate businessman.

Steven Gibbons’ double life was exposed with a judge saying he was “connected to people involved in serious crime in the UK and abroad”.

The 34-year-old was involved in a number of enterprises, including used car business Leeway Motor Company, but was also orchestrating an organised crime group flooding the streets of his home city with high quality drugs.

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“Gibbons posed as a legitimate businessman in the Newport area with several ventures, including Leeway Motor Company, but a substantial amount of his wealth stemmed from his illegal drug actives,” a police spokesperson said.

Companies House records show Gibbons resigned as a director of Leeway Motor Company in June 2020, and has no link with the current business.

The spokesperson added: “He had numerous customers that he supplied drugs to in kilogram quantities and was well-connected – he was able to source controlled drugs and had contacts worldwide.

“Stephen Baldwin operated as Gibbons’ right-hand man – Baldwin would collect cash from and supply drugs to people as instructed by Gibbons.”

Gibbons, of Cartwright Green, Newport, was jailed for 19 years and Baldwin, 50, of Caerleon Road, Newport, was sent to prison for 18 years.

South Wales Argus:

Top row, l-r, Steven Gibbons, Stephen Baldwin and Mark Bush-Jones. Bottom row, l-r, Abdi Ali, Joshua Dare and Paul Long. (Image: Tarian)

Other gang members included Joshua Dare, who had his own multi-kilogram drug supply network in Newport.

Mark Bush-Jones was another who had his own drugs supply chain in the city while Abdi Ali worked for another crew based in Newport.

Dare, 31, of Jeddo Close, Newport, was jailed for 13 years, Bush-Jones, 36, of Ringland Circle, Newport, was imprisoned for 11 years and six months and Ali, 49, of Kings Parade, Newport, was locked up for 14 years.

South Wales Argus:

Steven Gibbons

A sixth member of the group was courier Paul Long who would drive between Liverpool and Newport delivering drugs and taking profits back home with him.

In May 2020 he was stopped by police in the West Midlands and found with £200,000 in cash.

Long, 47, of Sonning Avenue, Litherland, Sefton, Liverpool, was jailed for 11 years and six months.

All the defendants were convicted of conspiracy to supply a class A drug and jailed for a combined total of 87 years at Newport Crown Court.

Judge Daniel Williams told Gibbons: “You were the leader of the group, you directed its activities and you were connected to people involved in serious crime in the UK and abroad.

“Those connections enabled the group to get cocaine and heroin in bulk to supply onwards.”

The judge said the defendant had initially pleaded not guilty before changing his mind.

“By that time you had submitted a defence statement which was a work of extraordinary fiction and your claim to have recently had some sort of moral awakening in your letter is absurd,” Judge Williams added.

Gibbons’ empire was topped following a joint investigation by Gwent Police and the Welsh regional organised crime unit Tarian.

Key to their success was that law enforcement authorities cracked the notorious EncroChat communication system that was being used by the gang.