Cardiff Gang Jailed for £11m US Cannabis Smuggling Operation

Ten members of a sophisticated organised crime group have been sentenced following a major investigation by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales.

The group, led by Abubakr Khawar, 28, from Riverside, Cardiff, imported substantial quantities of cannabis from the United States into the UK using parcel delivery services. The drugs were disguised as clothing, home décor and toys, and sent to over 80 properties across South Wales.

Since Operation Flueggea began in November 2020, officers linked the group to 329kg of cannabis with a street value of £11 million – though evidence suggests this was just a fraction of their total imports. They also seized £120,000 in cash and £21,000 in cryptocurrency.

Sentences handed down at Cardiff Crown Court:

• Abubakr Khawar (28, Riverside, Cardiff): 8 years
• Mohammed Nurul Hussain (28, Cardiff): 6 years
• Abdu Huriara Husain (29, Leckwith, Cardiff): 6 years
• Daniel Marshall (40, Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil): 32 months
• Sean William Montgomery (24, Rumney, Cardiff): 3 years 6 months
• Andrew David Pethers (36, St Melons, Cardiff): 3 years
• Kyle Joshua Solowyk (29, Barry): 34 months
• Steven Munroe (45, Riverside, Cardiff): 32 months
• Keiron Jones (29, Whitchurch, Cardiff): 26 months
• Solomon Bertram (36, Llanishen, Cardiff): 22 months
• Sophie Jones (33, Splott, Cardiff): To be sentenced later

Detective Constable Sean Meyrick of Tarian ROCU said: “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.”

He warned: “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.”

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.”