Three members of an organised crime gang responsible for flooding Denbighshire with Class A and B drugs have had their prison sentences increased following a successful appeal by North Wales Polixe.

The case, brought under Operation Scarab, saw investigators uncover a complex and well-established supply network operating across the county. Officers spent months building intelligence between July and December 2024, using covert policing methods and surveillance to track the gang’s activities and movements.

A total of 11 individuals were ultimately linked to the operation, with three key figures now facing longer jail terms after the Court of Appeal ruled their original sentences were too lenient on 19 March.

Jake Kiernan, 33, of Clos Elwy, Abergele, who was convicted of conspiring to supply cocaine, ketamine and cannabis, as well as producing cannabis, has seen his sentence increased from eight years and seven months to 10 years and eight months.

Jamie Steele, also 33, of Marine Drive, Rhyl, convicted of conspiring to supply cocaine, ketamine and cannabis, will now serve seven years and four months, up from six years.

Nicholas Reynolds, 54, of Clos David Owen, Rhuddlan, convicted of conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis and producing cannabis, has had his sentence increased from seven years and two months to nine years.

Six other members of the organised crime group did not have their sentences altered, while two were not part of the appeal process.

The investigation reached a critical point in early December 2024, when officers executed a coordinated warrant at a Denbighshire address believed to be a “stash house” used to store illegal drugs. A further targeted raid in Rhyl led to the seizure of 1.3 kilograms of cocaine and 1.6 kilograms of ketamine.

Testing later confirmed the drugs were of high purity, with an estimated street value exceeding £160,000.

The operation successfully dismantled what police described as a significant and organised drug supply chain in the region.

Speaking after the ruling, Detective Inspector Griffiths, head of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, welcomed the outcome, praising the extensive efforts of officers involved in the case.

He said tackling drug supply remains a top priority and expressed hope that the increased sentences would reassure the public of the force’s ongoing commitment to protecting communities.