Crime Correspondent: Cardiff

Dean Miller, went into the Zavvi store, Queen Street, Cardiff, on February 26, and tried to steal DVDs by ripping off their security tags

Miller, 35, went into the Zavvi store, Queen Street, Cardiff, on February 26, and tried to steal DVDs by ripping off their security tags and shoving them into his trouser pockets. He was stopped by security staff.Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard Miller, of Pearl Street, Adamsdown, Cardiff, who has 27 previous convictions for theft, had traces of cocaine in his system on arrest. Andrew Gooden, defending, said Miller had been involved with drugs, including cocaine and heroin, from a very young age, but had never been offered help by the courts to deal with his problems. “He realises he’s slipping back into a criminal lifestyle. He wants to re-engage with the Big Issue. He doesn’t want to steal to fund his habit.” Miller admitted theft, possessing heroin and failing to surrender to custody. He is due to be sentenced on March 25. , 35, went into the Zavvi store, Queen Street, Cardiff, on February 26, and tried to steal DVDs by ripping off their security tags and shoving them into his trouser pockets. He was stopped by security staff.Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard Miller, of Pearl Street, Adamsdown, Cardiff, who has 27 previous convictions for theft, had traces of cocaine in his system on arrest.Andrew Gooden, defending, said Miller had been involved with drugs, including cocaine and heroin, from a very young age, but had never been offered help by the courts to deal with his problems.“He realises he’s slipping back into a criminal lifestyle. He wants to re-engage with the Big Issue. He doesn’t want to steal to fund his habit.” Miller admitted theft, possessing heroin and failing to surrender to custody. He is due to be sentenced on March 25.

Dean Miller, went into the Zavvi store, Queen Street, Cardiff, on February 26, and tried to steal DVDs by ripping off their security tags

Miller, 35, went into the Zavvi store, Queen Street, Cardiff, on February 26, and tried to steal DVDs by ripping off their security tags and...

Perry Hill is now serving three years in a young offender institution

Perry Hill, 17, of Camrose Road, Ely, Cardiff, is serving three years in a young offender institution.He ran from plain clothes officers aft...

Stephen Lima, Perry Hill and Nicholas Stephenson were all caught with hard drugs in Cardiff.

Stephen Lima, Perry Hill and Nicholas Stephenson were all caught with hard drugs in Cardiff.Today they are behind bars serving a total of six years for their crimes. Drugs squad officers say that at 17 years old, they highlight a trend for city drug kingpins to rope in naive, greedy youngsters to peddle heroin and crack cocaine. At their age, they could normally hope to hide behind a law which forbids newspapers identifying 17-year-olds.But the courts gave the Echo permission to print the trio’s names and photographs in a bid to protect the public from Class A drug dealing in South Wales.Officers hope the move and today’s publicity will deter other youths from being tempted into risking their futures and cashing in on the evil trade. Sentencing Hill and Stephenson at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge John Curran ignored pleas from defence barristers to allow them to remain anonymous.After an application by the Echo to name them, Judge Curran said: “These are grave and very serious offences. “Parents or people living in Cardiff have a right to know who is dealing drugs on their streets. There is a genuine public interest in this.”Earlier, Judge Philip Richards allowed this paper’s request not to impose an order banning identification of Lima.The judge said: “In view of the public interest in this matter and in view of your age, I don’t consider that this is a case where I should make an order.”Officers working on Cardiff’s crime crackdown Operation Maximum Impact have arrested three more teenage drug dealers aged from 16 to 19 during operations in Ely over recent weeks.Lead drugs squad officer Detective Sergeant Dave Bancroft told the Echo it was a worrying problem. He said: “We are seeing more young men selling drugs – young men aged 16 or 17 years old. “They are naive and for a little bit of money they will do the dirty work. “At that age, all they see is money. They don’t realise the risks in what they are doing. “They are not stupid enough to use the drugs themselves but they are stupid enough to take the risks – and it is not worth it.” At his sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, Lima’s barrister admitted it was money that drove the young defendant. Jane Rowley QC said: “Experienced drug traffickers are utilising the services of naive young persons such as Stephen with a ‘get rich quick’ philosophy.” Det Sgt Bancroft said crack cocaine and heroin had been a problem in parts of Cardiff for several years and that officers were continually engaged in a battle to disrupt the dealers.As part of Operation Maximum Impact, officers in plain clothes have been sent out to try to drive the lowest level of peddlers off the streets. Five warrants have been carried out in Ely and Canton and several more in Rumney and St Mellons resulting in seizures of heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis.Some 14 people were arrested in Ely and at least two in Rumney and St Mellons. More arrests are expected in coming weeks.Det Sgt Bancroft said: “I know we have had an impact as we have had feedback from not just the public but the criminals.“No-one wants to do the street-level dealing at the moment. That’s one of the big things that this operation has been doing – scaring people into refusing to do the bigger drug dealers’ dirty work.”

Stephen Lima, Perry Hill and Nicholas Stephenson were all caught with hard drugs in Cardiff.

Stephen Lima, Perry Hill and Nicholas Stephenson were all caught with hard drugs in Cardiff.Today they are behind bars serving a total of si...

Raja Sarwar

Raja Sarwar, 40, Judge Phillip Richards said: “I don’t think many Valleys takeaway owners drive around in such cars.a Porsche and B.M.W “And it is ironic that a man who gives pop to some children out of the goodness of his heart, is providing other young people, indirectly, with heroin and cocaine.” Prosecutor Michael Matherlees said the married father could have had drugs with a street value of up to £400,000 pass through his hands. He was caught after police operation Phoenix put two city properties he was renting – at Stacey Road, Roath, Cardiff, and Lock-keepers Court, Blackweir Terrace, both in Cardiff – under surveillance between March and July last year. Both were said to be “safe houses” where he stashed his supplies. They watched him going to and from the addresses, sometimes just before or just after meeting up with people, before finding nearly a kilo of heroin and 50 grams of crack cocaine, worth more than £160,00, which equates to approximately 14,800 street deals, together with a large amount of other drugs paraphernalia, at his properties. Mr Matherlees said: “It was clear to the officers that he was involved in the supplying of class-A drugs and was leading a good lifestyle.” Heroin and cocaine were later found in a holdall the police saw another man trying to burn, at the rented flat in Lock-keepers Court and at Sarwar’s home address at Ynysddu, Pontyclun, where there was also almost £4,000 in cash. After arrest, he admitted he had been involved in drug dealing for four months and pleaded guilty to 10 offences. In court he was described by his barrister David Leathley as ‘a good loving father and husband’ who ran a successful fast food business for almost a decade, employing four staff. Judge Richards said: “These drugs cause immense harm, misery and sometimes death.” He also said there would have been a jail sentence of 11 years if Sarwar had denied it and been convicted after a trial. Detective Chief Inspector Debbie Cooper, from the Regional Task Force, said: “Raja Sarwar lived a life of luxury through selling heroin and crack cocaine. “He thought he could get away with leading this lifestyle while destroying the lives of so many people by supplying heroin and crack cocaine in our communities. “But he was wrong. He was caught thanks to the months of dedicated work under Operation Pheonix. “His sentence sends a strong message to criminals that the police will continue in our fight to remove drugs off our streets and send those involved to prison for a long time.” The Regional Asset Recovery team has carried out an investigation and that hearing will follow.

Raja Sarwar

Raja Sarwar, 40, Judge Phillip Richards said: “I don’t think many Valleys takeaway owners drive around in such cars.a Porsche and B.M.W “An...