Drug runner had 60g of cocaine in bra when stopped by police

Anne Walters, 41, was jailed for 16 months after she admitted running cocaine between Llandudno and Tregaron on at least five occasions.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Geraint Walters said: “There’s an epidemic of abuse of Class A drugs in that area of Ceredigion.

“It’s become an epidemic and people like you are an essential cog in it.

“It’s not a game. You wreck people’s lives by participating in offending of this sort.”

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Swansea Crown Court heard that police received intelligence on March 28 that Walters’ Citroen C1 was travelling on the A487 and Heol-Y-Bont near Aberystwyth.

When she was stopped and placed in the back of a police car, she began behaving “increasingly nervous”, prosecutor Alycia Carpanini said.

She then told officers: “It’s in my bra. It’s not even mine. It’s not like I’ve done it loads. I don’t even know how much it is.”

Walters handed over a bag containing 59.7 grams of cocaine, which Ms Carpanini had a street value of between £2,995 and £7,485.

Further investigations showed Walters’ car had been caught by ANPR cameras doing four other trips between Tregaron and Llandudno on March 5, 13, 16 and 18.

Ms Carpanini said that if Walters trafficked similar amounts of cocaine on each of these trips, the total estimated street value of the drugs would be between £14,000 and £36,000.

Walters told officers in interview that she had been paid to go to north Wales to pick up cocaine for a friend. She said she was a cocaine user and bought cocaine from that same person.

Anne Walters was caught stashing almost 60 grams of cocaine in her bra when she was stopped by police. (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)

The defendant, who had one previous conviction for battery in 2023, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

“She regrets her actions,” said Matthew Murphy, in mitigation.

“It’s evident that the defendant had little to no control over others within this operation. She is, in effect, a courier.”

Mr Murphy said Walters’ child had been living with her, but they were now being looked after solely by their dad.

He told the court that the defendant’s “most pressing concern” was the contact she would be able to have with her child and how any sentence she received would affect her child going forwards.

“She’s using cocaine for a start,” Judge Walters said. “That’s no way to be bringing up a child.”

“You admitted carrying out five trips in all up to Llandudno and back to Tregaron,” Judge Walters continued. “You were involved in bringing in significant quantities of cocaine in to that rural town.

“Everybody knows if you’re caught then there will be a severe consequence for it.

“You take the risk, there’s a big price to pay.”

Walters, of Maesamlwg in Tregaron, received concurrent 16-month sentences for each offence.