Richard Sullivan was arrested by plain-clothed officers while they were on patrol in Ely, Cardiff.
The officers witnessed a suspected drug deal near Gough Road between a man on a pushbike and the occupants of a car. The car was stopped in Wheatley Road and the occupants were found to have a wrap of heroin.
The cyclist was seen to enter and then leave a block of flats in Ogmore Road, Caerau.
Sullivan, 44, was arrested and a search of his flat revealed clear evidence that the property was being used to prepare crack cocaine. Cash and weapons were also seized.
The front door of the flat was found to be heavily fortified with steel rods and metal brackets, and there were multiple CCTV cameras, some of which were concealed.
Sullivan pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of drugs and was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, July 12 to 42 months in prison
Officer in the case, Pc Daniel Davies, from South Wales Police, said:“There is no other reason why a property would be fortified unless there was illegal activity taking place inside.
“Sullivan had gone to significant effort to alter his rented flat for the purpose of keeping police out. He has even gone to the length of fitting security cameras at the front, back and has even fitted spy cameras in the conduit piping in the communal corridor of the block of flats.
“You would never have noticed the cameras were there unless you had seen the CCTV on the monitor inside the flat. This has been reported to the Cardiff Council.”
