25-year-old Ahmed Abbas Al-Farraji, of Adamsdown, Cardiff, and 24-year-old Jamal Malik, of Butetown, Cardiff, were sentenced on Thursday at Swansea Crown Court for their involvement in international drug supply.
The sentences follow a major police investigation into the importation of wholesale amounts of cannabis from the United States into the United Kingdom.
Operation Starburst, led by officers from Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), found that parcels containing drugs were being shipped to multiple addresses in the Cardiff area. The parcels were labelled with false names and misleading contents descriptions to evade detection.
Tarian worked with Border Force officers to have some parcels intercepted at international distribution hubs.
Operation Starburst found that Al-Farraji, operating under the name ‘Josh’, was in control of a well-established drug supply line. This line supplied Class A drugs, including cocaine, and Class B drugs, including cannabis, across Cardiff and the surrounding areas.
Al-Farraji has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison for conspiracy to supply cocaine, and will serve a concurrent nine-month sentence for conspiracy to supply cannabis.
Malik was found to be playing a key role in logistics for the line. He was shown to be arranging imports, providing delivery addresses, and assisting with onward drug supply to customers.
Malik has been sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy to supply cocaine, and will serve a concurrent nine-month sentence for conspiracy to import and supply cannabis.
A third man, 29-year-old Abdu Huriara Husain, of Leckwith, Cardiff, was responsible for arranging the international shipments from the United States. Husain, who operated under the name ‘Skinny’, was sentenced to six years in prison as part of a wider organised crime group sentencing in September 2025.
Detective Constable Rhys Richards, of Tarian ROCU, said: “This investigation uncovered a highly organised operation importing drugs into the UK and supplying both Class B and Class A substances onto the streets of southern Wales.
“Offences of this nature are driven by profit and cause real harm to our communities. By working closely with partners, including Border Force, we were able to identify those responsible, disrupt a significant supply chain, and bring the offenders before the courts.”
