Anglesey dealer jailed after drugs found in soup tin

A drug dealer from Anglesey has been locked up after police discovered a sophisticated operation hidden inside a Heinz tomato soup tin.

Officers raided the Cemaes Bay home of 29-year-old Jordan Jones on Boxing Day following intelligence about his drug dealing activities. Inside his property at Stad Cae Rhun, they uncovered a black Adidas rucksack stuffed with equipment for his illegal trade.

The bag contained snap bags for packaging cocaine, cash, digital scales and a Motorola mobile phone. But the most unusual discovery came when police searched the house further and found the soup tin concealing sealed bags ready for cocaine distribution.

In total, officers seized 30 grams of high-purity cocaine valued between £2,361 and £5,059, depending on how it was divided for sale. They also recovered £2,000 in cash linked to drug dealing.

The haul didn’t stop there. Police also found a gold-coloured knuckleduster and what prosecutor Ryan Rothwell described as “a stun device disguised as a mobile phone” during their search of the property.

Jones appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court where he admitted possession of a Class A drug, possession of criminal property in the form of cash, and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.

Defence barrister Richard Edwards told the court his client had fallen into legitimate debt after struggling with loan repayments. Jones had been using cannabis and cocaine socially before making the “foolish” decision to start dealing. The knuckleduster had been purchased online and was never brandished in public, Mr Edwards said.

The court heard Jones bitterly regrets his actions and apologises to everyone affected. His barrister explained that Jones has a daughter who will now be “without a father figure for some time.” His mother lost her partner to cancer last year, and Jones has a young brother aged just five. Jones had worked as a fisherman and holds construction industry qualifications.

Sentencing him to two years and ten months in prison for the drug offence, Judge His Honour Timothy Petts said Jones had been expecting a significant financial reward from his criminal enterprise. The judge described it as “worrying” that possessing the knuckleduster and stun device showed Jones “might have been prepared to use them if needed.”

No separate penalties were imposed for the criminal property or weapons offences, and Jones was not charged over the stun device.