#ammanford — Public Fediverse posts

DRUG DEALING: Ammanford pair used ‘Chinese’ as codeword for cocaine orders — jailed after being caught waiting for a delivery in Swansea

Two men from Ammanford have been jailed after being caught supplying cocaine on the streets of Swansea — with an examination of their phones revealing drug users were ordering their fix by asking for a “Chinese.”

Jac Cadman, 23, of Florence Road, Ammanford, and Jamie Cook, 31, of Tabernacle Road, Glanaman, were spotted by officers on patrol in the Blaenymaes area of Swansea on March 13 this year, sitting in a parked Renault on Pentregethin Road. The officers noted the pair appeared “overly nervous and fidgety” and that the vehicle was registered and insured to a provisional licence holder.

A search under the Misuse of Drugs Act uncovered 28g of cocaine and £470 in cash in Cadman’s pockets, and 5g of cocaine and £880 in cash on Cook. Three mobile phones were also seized.

Subsequent searches of the defendants’ home addresses revealed further cash — £1,620 and an additional $1,330 in US currency were found at Cadman’s property.

Swansea Crown Court heard that messages on Cadman’s phone showed “clear evidence of involvement in the supply of cocaine,” and that he had been waiting in Pentregethin Road to collect a delivery for onward supply at the time of his arrest.

Cook’s phone told a more colourful story. Caitlin Brazel, prosecuting, told the court that a large number of messages from known drug users referred to buying “Chinese” — which she said appeared to be a codeword for cocaine. The prosecution said police concluded Cook’s phone was being used as the drugs line.

Investigators were also able to link messages from a phone seized in a separate drugs investigation in 2025 to Cook, suggesting he had been involved in supplying cocaine since at least 2024. Cook had previously been convicted in 2022 of possession with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cocaine after being caught operating as a street dealer in the Penlan area of Swansea by a plain-clothed police officer.

Both men answered “no comment” to all questions in interview, save for Cadman telling officers he worked in tarmacking.

The court heard that Cadman, who has no previous convictions, had begun drinking and taking drugs as a teenager as an escape from the pressures of being a carer for his parents. His barrister said he had found himself in debt and turned to dealing as a result, and that he was “deeply ashamed” of the impact on his family — including an unborn child.

Cook’s barrister told the court his client had experienced adverse childhood experiences linked to his mother’s addiction issues, and that the breakdown of a relationship following his 2022 imprisonment had seen him turn back to drugs. While on remand, the court heard, Cook had reflected on his situation and hoped to undertake the 12 Steps addiction programme upon release.

Recorder Greg Bull KC, sentencing, said those who involve themselves in Class A drug supply are “dealing in human misery” and that the courts would always treat such offending seriously.

With one-third discounts for their guilty pleas, Cadman was sentenced to 28 months in prison and Cook to 40 months. Both will serve no more than half their sentences in custody before being released on licence.

Sergeant Luke Tucker, of South Wales Police, said: “Both Jac Cadman and Jamie Cook will have felt great when they thought that their Class A drug dealing was going to net them a quick windfall. However, unfortunately for them, that feeling was quickly shattered when officers caught them in the act.

“Both will now follow in the footsteps of other drug dealers who have plagued the streets of Swansea as they rightfully head to prison.”

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Drug gang busted: Swansea man jailed as cocaine network smashed in multi-area operation
More of our coverage of Class A drug supply sentences from Swansea Crown Court.

Five jailed after street brawl saw family arm themselves with nail-studded plank in revenge attack
Another recent sentencing story from Swansea Crown Court.

HEARING FEAR: Ammanford star Owain Wyn Evans warns “I was missing conversations”

The Ammanford-born broadcaster and drummer says he first noticed something was wrong when he started missing parts of conversations — after years performing in loud environments.

“It was a shock,” he admitted. “I realised I was turning the volume up more and missing things people were saying.”

Now the 42-year-old is fronting a campaign with Specsavers — urging people not to ignore the warning signs.

The new research paints a worrying picture.

A staggering 45% of adults in Wales say their hearing has changed in recent years — yet more than a quarter haven’t taken any action and don’t plan to.

Even more concerning, over a third say they’ve never taken steps to protect their hearing at all.

For Owain, the issue goes beyond health — it’s about identity.

“Sound is such a huge part of who we are in Wales,” he said. “From the countryside to the sea — those sounds connect us to home.”

And the data backs him up.

• 72% say a Welsh accent makes Wales feel like home
• 60% say it’s the sound of a choir
• 73% say singing at rugby and football matches brings people together

But those sounds could be at risk.

More than a third of people report ringing ears or muffled hearing after gigs — a key warning sign of damage.

Experts say hearing loss often happens gradually, meaning people delay getting help — sometimes for years.

Owain is now urging people to act early before it’s too late.

“Protecting our hearing means protecting those connections,” he said.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Owain Wyn Evans recovering after emergency surgery
The Ammanford presenter updates fans after a sudden health scare.

Star‑studded celebration of Welsh excellence
Famous faces gather at Swansea’s Copperworks Distillery for a midsummer showcase.

Owain Wyn Evans: “Feel the fear and take the plunge”
The TV favourite shares a powerful message during a live Swansea appearance.

Port Talbot and Llanelli workers among most worried in Wales about AI taking their jobs, new study finds

Fears that AI could replace human workers are highest in Port Talbot, Llanelli and Ammanford, which all feature in the top five Welsh towns searching for answers about the risk to their employment.

The research, by efficiency experts at Ailsa, analysed how often people search for terms like ‘will AI take my job’ and ‘will I be replaced by AI’.

The research, by efficiency experts at Ailsa, analysed how often people search for terms like ‘will AI take my job’ and ‘will I be replaced by AI’.

The study found that Port Talbot was the third most anxious town in Wales, with 279 searches per 10,000 people each month. The finding comes despite recent efforts to position Port Talbot as Wales’ AI capital and schemes to help former steelworkers retrain in AI.

Llanelli and Ammanford ranked fourth and fifth, with 194 and 177 searches respectively.

Bridgend was the second most concerned town in the country, with 309 searches per 10,000 people, despite being at the heart of a new South Wales AI growth zone and plans for greater use of AI by the local council.

Swansea and Neath also featured in the top ten, with 152 and 137 searches respectively. The anxiety in Swansea exists alongside the city’s growing reputation as a centre for AI research, with Swansea University set to host a prestigious Google DeepMind programme.

In Neath Port Talbot, meanwhile, an award-winning AI project is already being used to save social workers 15 hours a week.

Across the UK, Wales was the second most concerned nation about the rise of AI, with an average of 23 searches per 10,000 people, second only to Northern Ireland. The findings come as Transport for Wales begins using AI to improve the country’s bus networks.

However, the efficiency experts behind the study have urged workers not to panic, arguing that AI is more likely to make jobs more enjoyable than to replace them entirely.

“I think it’s a big question on a lot of people’s minds at the moment, and a bit of fear, is this going to affect my job? Is this going to take my job?” said Kane Taylor from Ailsa.

“But I think we can twist this in a positive way. If AI can do all the remedial tasks in the background, it means we can upskill our workforces to do more interesting, or more complex things, that we can focus our time on.”

His colleague Jamie Burns agreed, adding that the so-called ‘robot revolution’ should be seen as a business enabler rather than a risk.

“I think a lot of people are scared and worried about AI taking their job, but companies can use AI to streamline their processes and enable them to become a better business,” he said.

“You’re always going to need people. We deal with data day in and day out, we deal with AI day in and day out, but it’s never going to replace a person. Everything still needs a person, every interaction still needs someone there, because the whole personality and personal touch is what makes business operate.”

The experts advised workers to learn how to use AI to their advantage, lean into the human skills that technology can’t replicate, and focus on building a reputation that people trust.

Swansea woman and ex‑husband jailed after cocaine bust

Dramatic footage released by South Wales Police shows the moment Lisa Regan, 53, from Portmead, Swansea, was arrested as she stepped off a plane — bringing down a drugs empire she ran with her ex‑husband.

Regan and Phillip Jones, 44, from Brynhyfryd, Swansea, oversaw a cocaine supply chain that flooded Swansea and Ammanford. Investigators found images on their phones showing Jones cutting up a kilo of cocaine, while the pair laundered their profits through a café in Blaenymaes.

At Swansea Magistrates Court in October, Jones admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine, two counts of possession with intent to supply, concealing criminal property and driving while disqualified. He was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. Regan admitted similar offences and was handed seven years and four months.

Police also uncovered a Carmarthenshire link. Tracy Lewis, 54, from Llandybie, was buying large amounts of cocaine from Regan and running his own operation in Ammanford.

He admitted multiple offences including supply of cocaine, crack cocaine and cannabis, possession with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property. He was jailed for six years.

Sergeant Luke Tucker said:

“Between them, Lisa Regan, Phillip Jones and Tracy Lewis were responsible for flooding our local communities with significant quantities of Class A and B drugs.

“They thought they were above the law – but they will have been devastated to discover their operations weren’t as impenetrable as they thought. Their removal from society has made our streets far safer and better off.”

#Ammanford #BlaenYMaes #Brynhyfryd #cocaine #drugDealer #DrugDealing #drugs #Llandybie #Portmead #SouthWalesPolice #Swansea

#CBC #News: #American podiatrist leaving #Nova #Scotia over burea https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/canada.html#12

Real Clear #Politics: #Americans Finally Waking Up - Much of Higher Ed Is https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/politics.html#3

#NewYork Times: #Americans Won’t Have Faith in the Rule of #Law Unti https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html#5

#USA #News: #Americans spending more for the holidays despite d https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/news.html#3

#Cardiff #News: #Ammanford family thanks blood donors for https://kensbookinfo.blogspot.com/p/cities.html#34a