TWO cocaine traffickers were caught after one of them was captured on a pub’s CCTV carrying out a drug deal.

Allan Jones, 50, was arrested after police were called to Caerphilly’s Moat House Inn where he had sold coke to a man in its garden.

Drug-related messages on his iPhone implicated his former work colleague Scott Thompson, 32, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

South Wales Argus:

Allan Jones

There was talk of a potential deal to buy a kilo of cocaine for between £40,000 and £50,000.

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Tabitha Walker, prosecuting, told how Detective Constable Sean Meyrick said Jones did buy thousands of pounds worth of high purity cocaine from “upscale suppliers”.

There was a reference to a £14,000 deal for nine ounces.

The defendant had sold a small amount of the class A drug in a cigarette packet to the pub customer on August 9, 2020.

South Wales Argus:

Scott Thompson

One of the messages on his phone read: “I’ve been in this game a long, long time and it’s the ones with loose lips and flamboyant lifestyles that get caught.”

There was also one of Jones boasting about him threatening a man with a gun who became so frightened he urinated himself.

There were 200,000 messages on his phone.

The court heard he was convicted of a football-related affray.

Jones, of Claude Road, Caerphilly, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Thompson, of Commercial Street, Senghenydd, Caerphilly, had denied the same offence but was found guilty by a jury following a trial.

He had a previous conviction for dangerous driving and drink driving from Christmas Day 2015.

Andrew Taylor, mitigating for Jones, told the court the defendant wasn’t one of the “big boys”.

His barrister compared him to a corner shop owner rather than “Marks & Spencer and Tesco”.

Stuart John, representing sales executive Thompson, said his client was in a full-time job and had recently become a father.

The defendant’s drug taking was behind him, his lawyer told the court.

Mr John urged the court to spare Thompson an immediate jail term because he was capable of being rehabilitated in the community.

The judge, Recorder Richard Booth KC told Jones: “You were supplying cocaine on a buy now pay later basis.”

He jailed Jones for six years and nine months and sent Thompson to prison for four years and three months.

Recorder Booth said they would serve half of those terms in custody before being released on licence.

Both defendants are set to face a proceeds of crime hearing next year.