4. The Welsh Connection

In 1983 a sleepy fishing village in West Wales became the unlikely setting for an audacious drug smuggling plot worth millions of pounds. A gang of international drug runners planned to traffic tonnes of cannabis via the remote Pembrokeshire coastline. But the smugglers overlooked the inquisitive locals and dogged rural detectives who hunt them down. What begins as a rural investigation eventually leads the local police on an international adventure involving speed boats, supercars with hidden panels, mansions with buried treasure and a cast of eccentric characters. Told by the people who were there, this is the story of how a small Welsh community and a local police force came together to take on an international drugs ring. In this final episode we hear how the court case unfolds as the two legal teams do battle. While the Prosecution is confident with their case, nothing can prepare them for the extraordinary testimony the alleged smuggling gang boss has planned that might just get everyone off the hook. CREDITS Includes extracts from the book “Operation Seal Bay” by Pat Molloy Narrator: Hannah Daniel Producer and Editor: James Hale Music and Sound Design: James Hale Executive Producer: Steve Robinson Researcher: Tane Rogers-Eirug Additional Musicians: Lowri Mair Jones and Mark Foley Actors: Llinor ap Gwynedd, Aneirin Hughes, John Rowley, Gruff Harries and Scheiffer Bates Additional Mixing & Mastering: Hoot Studios A Lazerbeam production for BBC Sounds

In 1983 a sleepy fishing village in West Wales became the unlikely setting for an audacious drug smuggling plot worth millions of pounds. A gang of international drug runners planned to traffic tonnes of cannabis via the remote Pembrokeshire coastline. But the smugglers overlooked the inquisitive locals and dogged rural detectives who hunt them down. What begins as a rural investigation eventually leads the local police on an international adventure involving speed boats, supercars with hidden panels, mansions with buried treasure and a cast of eccentric characters. Told by the people who were there, this is the story of how a small Welsh community and a local police force came together to take on an international drugs ring. In this fifth episode, the Welsh detectives are in a race against time to track down the last member of the smuggling gang before the court case begins. CREDITS Includes extracts from the book “Operation Seal Bay” by Pat Molloy Narrator: Hannah Daniel Producer and Editor: James Hale Executive Producer: Steve Robinson Researcher: Tane Rogers-Eirug Music and Sound Design: James Hale Additional Musicians: Lowri Mair Jones and Mark Foley Actors: Llinor ap Gwynedd, Aneirin Hughes, John Rowley, Gruff Harries and Scheiffer Bates Additional Mixing & Mastering: Hoot Studios A Lazerbeam production for BBC Sounds

In 1983 a sleepy Pembrokeshire fishing village became the unlikely setting for an audacious drug smuggling plot worth millions of pounds. A gang of international drug runners planned to traffic tonnes of cannabis via the remote coastline of West Wales. But the smugglers overlooked one important thing: the inquisitive locals and dogged rural detectives who hunt them down. The investigation leads the local police on an international adventure involving speed boats, supercars with hidden panels, mansions with buried treasure and a cast of eccentric characters. Told by the people who were there, this is the story of how a small Welsh community and a local police force came together to take on an international drugs ring. In this third episode, with three suspects now in custody but the cannabis still missing, the detectives are in a race against time to prove the drugs smuggle is real. It’s an adventure that will lead them to a Rolls Royce driving cocaine dealer, mansions with buried treasure and the discovery of a yacht with a colourful history. CREDITS Includes extracts from the book “Operation Seal Bay” by Pat Molloy Narrator: Hannah Daniel Producer and Editor: James Hale Executive Producer: Steve Robinson Researcher: Tane Rogers-Eirug Music and Sound Design: James Hale Additional Musicians: Lowri Mair Jones and Mark Foley Actors: Llinor ap Gwynedd, Aneirin Hughes, John Rowley, Gruff Harries and Scheiffer Bates Additional Mixing & Mastering: Hoot Studios A Lazerbeam production for BBC Sounds.

In 1983 a sleepy fishing village in West Wales became the unlikely setting for an audacious drug smuggling plot worth millions of pounds. A gang of international drug runners planned to traffic tonnes of cannabis via the remote Pembrokeshire coastline. But the smugglers overlooked an important detail: the inquisitive locals and dogged rural detectives who hunt them down. What begins as a rural investigation eventually leads the local police on an international adventure involving speed boats, supercars with hidden panels, mansions with buried treasure and a cast of eccentric characters. Told by the people who were there, this is the story of how a small Welsh community and a local police force came together to take on an international drugs ring. In this second episode, the local detectives begin to close in on the gang with the help of intelligence from the observant locals. The two men already in custody reveal some strange coincidences under questioning and a third man is arrested. He’s caught after a high-speed chase that nearly ends in him falling to his death. Back at the station, he tells detectives “When you find out who I am you will have a very big surprise.” CREDITS Includes extracts from the book “Operation Seal Bay” by Pat Molloy Narrator: Hannah Daniel Producer and Editor: James Hale Executive Producer: Steve Robinson Researcher: Tane Rogers-Eirug Music and Sound Design: James Hale Additional Musicians: Lowri Mair Jones and Mark Foley Actors: Llinor ap Gwynedd, Aneirin Hughes, John Rowley, Gruff Harries and Scheiffer Bates Additional Mixing & Mastering: Hoot Studios A Lazerbeam production for BBC Sounds.

In 1983 a sleepy Pembrokeshire fishing village became the unlikely setting for an audacious drug smuggling plot worth millions of pounds. A gang of international drug runners planned to traffic tonnes of cannabis via the remote coastline of West Wales. But the smugglers overlooked one important thing: the inquisitive locals and dogged rural detectives who hunt them down. The investigation leads the local police on an international adventure involving speed boats, supercars with hidden panels, mansions with buried treasure and a cast of eccentric characters. Told by the people who were there, this is the story of how a small Welsh community and a local police force came together to take on an international drugs ring. In this first episode, the local farmers and fisherman of Newport make a series of strange discoveries. Oddly dressed men traipsing over private clifftop farmland. Expensive marine equipment found at a cove only accessible by boat. And a hatch hidden in the shingle of another beach, which leads to a huge underground chamber… CREDITS Includes extracts from the book “Operation Seal Bay” by Pat Molloy Narrator: Hannah Daniel Producer and Editor: James Hale Executive Producer: Steve Robinson Researcher: Tane Rogers-Eirug Music and Sound Design: James Hale Additional Musicians: Lowri Mair Jones and Mark Foley Actors: Llinor ap Gwynedd, Aneirin Hughes, John Rowley, Gruff Harries and Scheiffer Bates Additional Mixing & Mastering: Hoot Studios A Lazerbeam production for BBC Sounds.