Trio jailed for supplying cocaine in Newport, Cwmbran and Pontypool

Three men involved in an organised crime group that supplied cocaine in the Newport, Cwmbran and Pontypool areas have been sentenced to a combined total of 14 years and eight months in prison.

Callum Nocivelli, Gareth Hall and Declan Carr were involved in two drugs lines that sent out hundreds of text messages in total, advertising the sale and supply of cocaine.

All three defendants, from Newport, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply the class A controlled drug when they appeared at Newport Crown Court today (28 March).

Nocivelli and Carr also admitted to acquiring/using/possessing criminal property.

Nocivelli, 25, was sentenced to four years and eight months, Hall, 26, was sentenced to six years and Carr, 26, was sentenced to four years.

Mobile phone

Officers from Gwent Police found evidence of a drugs line involving the three defendants after seizing a mobile phone as part of a separate, unrelated investigation; this led them to second drugs line.

In July last year, the East Serious Organised Crime team, which covers Newport and Monmouthshire, executed early-morning warrants, as part of Operation Wellsted, at four properties in the Bettws area.

Officers arrested Nocivelli and Carr but Hall, who was overseas at the time of the warrants, was detained by an off-duty officer in a supermarket car park in Cwmbran in September.

Text messages

PC Matthew Tucker, the officer in the case, said: “The evidence we gathered showed clearly that the two mobile phone numbers associated with this organised crime group had a plethora of text messages connected to the sale of cocaine.

“We identified Nocivelli as having a leading role in managing this illegal drugs operation; Hall was also a significant member, and Carr was dispatched as a runner to carry out the deals.

“With overwhelming evidence against them, all three defendants had little option but to plead guilty to the charges they faced in court.”