Raid in Ringland led to large seizure but small confiscation order
A Newport man who was caught after a police raid on a property in Ringland and later convicted of class A drug offences has been ordered to pay back £10,000 following a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing at Newport Crown Court.
The defendant, identified in court documents as a 24-year-old, was arrested after officers from Gwent Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit searched an address in Hendre Farm Drive, Ringland, in November last year. During the search police seized quantities of heroin and crack cocaine, mobile phones, weighing scales and cash.
Police said the class A drugs found were assessed to have a street value of up to £175,000. At an earlier sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court the man received a custodial sentence of five years.
"Criminals, like Roberts, are only interested in the profits they make; they do not care about the pain and misery they can cause to vulnerable people and their families," said PC Matthew Tucker of Gwent Police. "We will continue to target those who sell and supply illegal drugs in the Newport area and further afield, filling our communities with suffering and fear."
Financial findings and what was recovered
At the POCA hearing it was disclosed that the man had benefited to the tune of £121,837 from his offending. However, investigators found he only had declared assets worth £10,373. The judge ordered a confiscation sum of £10,000 — a fraction of the calculated benefit figure.
Police stated that weighing scales and cash were recovered from both the address and the defendant’s car when officers executed the search warrant.
- Location of raid: Hendre Farm Drive, Ringland
- Class A drugs seized: heroin and crack cocaine
- Street value of drugs (assessed): up to £175,000
- Benefit from offending (calculated): £121,837
- Assets available: £10,373
- Confiscation order: £10,000
- Sentence: Five years' imprisonment
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Assessed street value of seizures | £175,000 |
| Calculated benefit | £121,837 |
| Assets found | £10,373 |
| Confiscation ordered | £10,000 |
| Custodial sentence | 5 years |
Local policing and community appeal
PC Tucker said the defendant had chosen to remain silent during his custody interview and did not answer questions about the class A drugs and cash seized. The officer described the evidence as "overwhelming" and emphasised the harm caused by those supplying illegal drugs.
Gwent Police used the court hearing to reiterate its appeal for local intelligence, saying it receives regular information from communities and urging anyone with concerns to report them. The force underlined that investigations will continue into those suspected of selling and supplying illegal drugs in Newport and beyond.
For Newport residents the case will raise familiar questions about the balance between the scale of drugs found on the city’s streets and the sums ultimately recoverable under POCA, as well as the impact of sentencing on local organised supply networks. While a substantial quantity of drugs was taken off the streets, the confiscation figure highlights the practical limits of recovering profits where few assets remain available to investigators.
Courts in Wales are required to assess benefit from offending and to make confiscation orders where possible. In this instance, the order reflects what was judged recoverable rather than the total assessed gain, a distinction that often causes public frustration when high-value seizures are followed by comparatively modest financial penalties.
The case will remain on the local radar as police pursue other lines of enquiry connected to organised supply and as community groups and residents continue to press for visible action to reduce drug-related harm in Newport.
