A MAJOR investigation into a drugs 'crime empire' claimed another scalp yesterday when a Newport woman pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply amphetamine and cannabis.

Valerie Sheppard had denied the charges and a trial began on Monday but yesterday she decided to change her plea.

Newport crown court was told her home in Moorland Park was used as a "store room" for drugs, and cannabis resin weighing more than 23 stone and amphetamine was found there.

Sentence was adjourned by Judge David Morris.

The drugs were bought by Sheppard's brother William Avery who was convicted with four other men of a variety of drugs offences in April this year.

Avery, 49, of Wharf Road, Maindee, Hywel Wyn Evans, 46, of Danygraig Road, Risca and Danny Schafer, 38, of Romford, Essex were imprisoned for a total of 19 years.

They were all caught as a result of two covert operations - code-named Othello and Montana. A total of £50,000 worth of cocaine, 283 kilos of cannabis worth £900,000 and two kilos of amphetamine was seized by police.

After the earlier hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Webber, who led the investigation, told the Argus: "This operation was important not just because of the amount of drugs we seized but because we have dismantled a major crime empire."

On Monday, prosecutor Huw Davies said the massive surveillance operations came to a head in July 2003 when police arrested Avery, Sheppard and two other people. Various addresses were searched including Sheppard's home in Moorland Park.

He said 54-year-old Sheppard denied knowing about the drugs when police confronted her with the haul which included 607 bars of cannabis resin.

"None of those arrested expected it to happen. The investigation lasted many months and as a result the police found solid evidence of drugs trafficking."

For several months, Avery went to Essex to collect drugs and dropped consignments at Sheppard's house. Mr Davies said he was operating a shuttle service between Essex and Newport.