A MAN accused of being a member of a cocaine conspiracy has been granted bail after he was initially held in custody.
Nicholas Kirkham-Jones’ barrister Byron Broadstock made the successful application before Judge Jeremy Jenkins at Cardiff Crown Court.
The 28-year-old defendant, of Lon Gwenant, Pontrhydyrun, Cwmbran, was released on conditional bail.
Kirkham-Jones and three other co-defendants have been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine in Gwent between January 1 and July 7.
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They are:
- Mark Anthony Davies, 35, of Central Avenue, Oakdale.
- Mark Haydn Jenkins, 37, of Christchurch Road, Penmaen, Oakdale.
- Robert John Charles Butler, 43, of Attlee Court, Lansbury Park, Caerphilly.
All four men were remanded in custody after appearing before Newport magistrates earlier this month and the other three remain in custody.
The four are due to appear before Newport Crown Court for a plea hearing on July 31.
They were arrested in early July as part of the National Crime Agency’s Operation Venetic after access was gained to an encrypted messaging system called EncroChat.
More than £2.5 million in cash and drugs worth an estimated £6 million were seized following a series of raids across south Wales earlier this month.
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