**Major Drug Operation Uncovered After Violent Stabbing Incident in Powys**
An incident that began with a violent confrontation in Llandrindod Wells has exposed a significant drug distribution network and culminated in a prison sentence for 23-year-old Calum Samuel, from Brecon. The case, heard at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, illustrates the cascading consequences that can arise from organised crime and personal tragedy.
In December last year, Ricco Douglas, 25, travelled from the Midlands to meet Scott Wheel in Powys, planning what authorities believe was a drug-related exchange. The deal swiftly turned violent, resulting in Wheel sustaining critical knife wounds and being rushed to hospital. Subsequent investigations by police led to the arrest of both Douglas and Samuel, with initial suspicions falling on both men regarding conspiracy to commit murder.
However, as the legal proceedings unfolded, prosecutors chose not to press on with the most serious charge against Samuel. While Douglas admitted to wounding with intent—a crime for which he will be sentenced at a later date—the true scale of Samuel’s illicit involvement came to light through forensic examination of his mobile phone.
Police scrutiny of the communications between Samuel, Douglas, and Wheel, both before and after the stabbing, played a crucial role in piecing together the broader context of their activities. Crucially, Samuel’s seized mobile was found to reveal a series of incriminating messages and videos, spanning a 19-day window shortly after Samuel’s release from prison. During this period, Samuel was evidently at the centre of a considerable operation supplying cocaine, having offered or dealt nearly 2kg of the drug.
The court was provided evidence of Samuel advertising various quantities of cocaine for sale, haggling over prices, and arranging transactions in precise detail. On 3 December, for instance, Samuel attempted to sell half a kilogram of cocaine for £14,000 while boasting about his product’s quality compared to his competitors. Further exchanges showed him chasing debts, some as high as £2,500, and handling negotiations for amounts both large and small.
Videos seized from Samuel’s phone further established the breadth of his enterprise. In one, he is seen rapping and waving around bundles of cash—allegedly totalling £10,000—while making light of the police potentially apprehending him. Another clip depicted Samuel with what appeared to be cocaine in his possession, reinforcing claims of his direct involvement.
In total, police estimated Samuel’s operation accounted for offers or supply of just under two kilograms of cocaine, a quantity clearly not intended for personal use. This discovery and the boldness displayed on social media highlight the changing nature of criminal self-presentation in the digital age, raising important questions about how such evidence is gathered and used in court.
Samuel, who resides at Heol Y Ffynnnon in Brecon, ultimately pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, a serious Class A drug offence. Judge Vanessa Francis, delivering the sentence, remarked on the far-reaching harms of drug trafficking, stating: “Drug dealing brings misery to thousands and thousands of people, not just in this country but across the world.” She also acknowledged the personal and familial devastation recorded in Samuel’s past, emphasising both individual and social costs of addiction and criminality.
Grim details about Samuel’s background emerged as part of his mitigation. The defence outlined that Samuel’s difficulties began in adolescence after losing his father at the age of fourteen. This tragedy, compounded by leaving school without qualifications, steered him towards substance misuse and criminal activity—a trajectory not uncommon in cases involving drug offences.
Despite the challenges described in court, the gravity and scale of Samuel’s operation left little room for leniency. He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison, reflecting both his previous convictions and the significant potential harm posed by his activities.
The case serves as a sobering reminder of how violence can quickly bring hidden criminal enterprises into sharp public focus, and how personal misfortune, when unaddressed, may fuel cycles of crime with dire consequences for all involved.