Drug Dealer Caught with £26k Cannabis Haul on M4

Police swooped on a member of an organised crime group as he was delivering drugs from Cardiff to Swansea, a court has heard. Officers found 5kg of cannabis in the back of Nam Ngoc’s car, and discovered he was carrying a false international driver’s licence 🚔

Swansea Crown Court heard 21-year-old Ngoc entered the UK illegally three years ago and has previously worked as a painter and decorator in Yorkshire. A judge told the defendant that “the sooner he is sent back to his home country the better.”

Alycia Carpanini, prosecuting, told the court that on 20th December last year police received reports from the Grangetown area of Cardiff of a group of men transferring large bags from a van to the boot of a car. Some of the men were said to be carrying firearms.

Officers were dispatched and located the car – a Seat Leon – travelling westbound on the M4 motorway. The Seat was followed as it left the motorway and drove into Swansea, before being stopped on Pentregethin Road.

Police detained the driver and searched the vehicle. In the boot they found two bags for life shopping bags containing vacuum-packed packages of cannabis. The total weight of the cannabis was 5.2kg worth up to £26,000.

When Ngoc was searched, officers found £395 in cash and an international driver’s licence in the name of Tien Dung Nguyen but bearing the defendant’s photo. His phone contained pictures of cannabis, messages relating to drug supply, and a document with a list of “SA” postcodes.

Ngoc answered “no comment” to all questions in interview but provided a prepared statement denying possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

Ieuan Rees, for Ngoc, said the defendant came to the UK illegally from Vietnam three years ago and lived in Bradford where he worked as a painter and decorator “before becoming involved in matters which brought him to Swansea.”

Judge Huw Rees said there was no explanation for why the defendant had a driving licence in someone else’s name, noting it was clear Ngoc was in the UK illegally. He said Ngoc and “no doubt others” were involved in cannabis supply.

Nam Ngoc, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to eight months in prison with a 10% discount for his guilty plea. The Home Office has already arranged to speak to Ngoc about his immigration status 📋