A Cardigan man has been jailed for five and a half years after being caught in possession of over £2,500 of class A drugs.

Thomas Francis Eley, 34, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, 30 July.

The court heard how Dyfed-Powys Police had stop-searched the vehicle Eley was a passenger in, at Cynwyl Elfed, as it was travelling from Newport, Gwent to Ceredigion on Friday, 5 February, 2020.

He was arrested on suspicion of possession with the intent to supply class A drugs and later released under investigation while police enquiries continued.

While in custody Eley produced £1,400 of heroin from within his body and £1,180 worth of cannabis was later found following a search at his home address.

Enquiries showed that Eley had travelled to Newport on 23 occasions between September 2019 and February 2020.

On 4 May this year Eley was charged with two counts of possession with the intent to supply class A drugs and one count of possession with the intent to supply class B drugs.

He pleaded guilty to all charges at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, 30 July.

Insp Owen Williams said: “This was an excellent example of proactive policing which has led to a significant sentence for a prolific drug dealer and disrupting the supply of illegal drugs into Ceredigion.

"I hope this will serve as a warning to others who wish to bring drugs into the Ceredigion area that it will not be tolerated.”

To report anything suspicious or concerns about the selling and taking of drugs in the community, contact Dyfed-Powys Police either online at https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.