Images: South Wales Police

Ten members of an organised crime group have been sentenced following a proactive investigation led by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) for southern Wales.

Tarian, working in collaboration with UK Border Force, the Royal Mail, and international partners, established Operation Flueggea to dismantle a sophisticated organised crime group operating in the Cardiff area.

The group, led by Abubakr Khawar, were responsible for importing substantial quantities of cannabis from the United States into the United Kingdom, using parcel delivery services to conceal and distribute the illegal substances.

Shipments

Officers found that the cannabis shipments were being disguised as items such as clothing, home décor and toys, and sent through legitimate parcel networks to numerous residential addresses in the South Wales area.

The occupiers of these addresses had been recruited by the group to receive the parcels on their behalf for a nominal sum, generally between £50 and £200 per parcel.

Since Operation Flueggea commenced in November 2020, officers have linked the group to:

  • 329kg of cannabis (street value of £11 million) with evidence suggesting this represented a fraction of total imports; and
  • Over 80 properties in South Wales being used as delivery addresses for the illegal shipments.

Officers also seized and recovered £120,000 cash and £21,000 in cryptocurrency.

Warrants

On December 9, 2024, Tarian, supported by South Wales Police and British Transport Police, executed a number of warrants to arrest those involved.

As a result of the strength of the evidence, seven individuals pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Supply Class ‘B’ Controlled Drugs and Conspiracy to Import Cannabis prior to trial.

On September 10 and 11 sentencing took place at Cardiff Crown Court. The following sentences were handed down:

Abubakr Khawar, aged 28, of Riverside, Cardiff, pleaded guilty on March 19, 2025. He has been sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Mohammed Nurul Hussain, aged 28, of Cardiff, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Supply Class ‘B’ Controlled Drugs on March 19, 2025. On June 5, 2025, whilst on trial for Conspiracy to Import Cannabis, he changed his plea to guilty. He has been sentenced to 6 years in prison.

Abdu Huriara Husain, aged 29, of Leckwith, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Supply Class ‘B’ Controlled Drugs on May 23, 2025. On June 5, 2025, whilst on trial for Conspiracy to Import Cannabis, he changed his plea to guilty. He has been sentenced to 6 years in prison.

Sophie Jones, aged 33, of Splott, Cardiff, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2025. She will be sentenced at a later date.
Daniel Marshall, aged 40, of Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded guilty on April 4, 2025. He has been sentenced to 32 months in prison.

Sean William Montgomery, aged 24, of Rumney, Cardiff, was found guilty of both offences on June 11, 2025. He has been sentenced to 3 years and 6 months.

Andrew David Pethers, aged 36, of St Melons, Cardiff, pleaded guilty on May 13, 2025. He has been sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Kyle Joshua Solowyk, aged 29, of Barry, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2025. He has been sentenced to 34 months in prison.

Keiron Jones, aged 29, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, pleaded guilty on May 1, 2025. He has been sentenced to 26 months in prison.

Solomon Bertram, aged 36, of Llanishen, Cardiff, pleaded guilty on March 19, 2025. He has been sentenced to 22 months in prison.

Steven Munroe, aged 45, of Riverside, Cardiff, was found guilty of both offences on June 11, 2025. He has been sentenced to 32 months in prison.

Complex investigation

Detective Constable Sean Meyrick of Tarian ROCU said: “The sentencing today concludes a protracted and complex investigation that involved multiple law enforcement agencies and partners and resulted in the dismantling of a sophisticated organised crime group.

“This group demonstrated the financial capacity to absorb multi-million-pound losses, highlighting both the scale of the group’s operation and the resilience of their revenue streams. These eleven individuals took pleasure in their offending as they profited from the harm they caused to others.

“I am pleased with the sentences that were handed down today and I hope they serve as a warning to others. I would like to thank our partners, in particular UK Border Force and the Royal Mail, for their assistance in this investigation.

“I would also caution anyone who is approached by individuals to receive parcels on their behalf in return for money to consider the ramifications of this. Receiving illegal commodities on behalf of another person can leave you liable for criminal offences. Ignorance of the parcel contents is not an excuse.

“Parcel recipients from Operation Flueggea have faced consequences ranging from criminal charges and job loss, through to fines and expulsion from higher education courses.

“I would urge anyone who is approached with such an offer to report it to their local police force on 101, or report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Image: South Wales Police

Jenny Hopkins of the CPS said: “This group was highly organised and criminally sophisticated.

“They were arranging and managing transatlantic deliveries to about 80 properties in the UK and then used an extensive distribution network to move the drugs on.

“They tried to evade responsibility for their criminality by making regular changes to the distribution patterns, but they were still caught.

“The Crown Prosecution Service built a strong case from the evidence, which resulted in these convictions.

“This case demonstrates the commitment of the Crown Prosecution Service and law enforcement partners to disrupting drug supply chains and bringing those involved in serious organised crime to justice.”

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