A NEWPORT-based heroin gang operating on a "massive scale" brought more than £4 million of the drug into South Wales, a court heard today.

Six people are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court alleged to have been part of the conspiracy between October 27 2013 and January 2014.

One woman is alleged to have been the gang's banker from her shoe shop R'Evage on Commercial Street while others are alleged to have played roles ranging from money laundering to transporting the drug.

The defendants on trial accused of conspiracy to supply heroin are Shazia Ahmed, 37, of Lennard Street and Wasim Ali, 29, of Harrow Road, both from Newport, along with Cardiff-based defendants Umar Arif, 29, of Laureate Close, Umar Butt, of Taff Embankment and Khalid Yassen, 29, of Claude Road as well as Zawed Malik, 40, of Park Road in Tameside, Greater Manchester.

All deny the charge.

The jury heard other defendants have previously admitted their role in the supply chain.

Opening the case, prosecutor Roger Griffiths said more than 40kg of heroin was seized during the operation, along with just over £270,000 in bank notes.

"These defendants willingly involved themselves with a lucrative business, to assist and take part in conspiracy to supply heroin which resulted in vast quantities of the drug being available on the streets of South Wales," he said.

Mr Griffiths said police stopped Wasim Ali's taxi and found 3.8g heroin, subsequently arresting Ali.

He also said all the defendants were in telephone contact with the "main players" in the gang.

The court heard some of the defendants were seen to exchange bags during a police surveillance operation.

Umar Arif was seen to exchange a bag said to contain money or drugs with a defendant who has already pleased guilty but Arif claimed the bag contained a pair of trainers, the court heard.

Zawed Malik was stopped by police at a service station near Symond's Yat as he drove from Newport to Manchester with £223,555 in bags of cash, the prosecution said.

"It seems panic has set in following the arrest of Wasim Ali and Imtiaz Ali decides to lay low for a while in Birmingham", the prosecutor claimed.

The conspiracy ended when police stopped a car on its way to Birmingham driven by Butt and Yassen containing the rest of the heroin, the court heard.

The case is expected to last up to seven weeks.

Proceeding.