💥 Big Win for Justice or Just a Drop in the Ocean? 💥
A Newport hotel turns out to have been the unlikely hub of a £1.3 million drug operation! Three cunning individuals used the hotel as their base to supply heroin, cocaine, and MDMA across the UK. But the justice system has only managed to recover a sliver of their illicit fortune.
Meet the trio: Kelly Balchin, Kayla Grubb, and Jamie Germaine. This organised crime gang stored drugs at two local hotels, with Balchin’s husband, Nicholas Yhnell, leading the charge. The Box Hotel and its sister guest house were used as their fortress of distribution with the help of the hotel manager.
Gwent Police launched a massive operation to bring them down, executing five warrants with the help of 80 armed officers. They seized cars, including a flashy Range Rover, phones, and drugs with a jaw-dropping street value. But when it came to cashing in their ill-gotten gains, things took a surprising turn.
Balchin, who made a whopping £1,245,437, only has assets valued at £1,700. Grubb and Germaine, who pocketed nearly £605,000 between them, have nothing to show for it. The trio have been asked to pay back a mere £1,700 in total, with failure to comply resulting in extra time behind bars.
Despite hefty prison sentences for the three – Balchin got 10 years, Grubb 6 years, and Germaine over 7 years – many are left wondering if justice has really been served. What do you think? Is it a win for justice or just a symbolic slap on the wrist? 🤔