Mastodawn

Carmarthenshire cannabis clan ordered to pay back £1m

Edward and Linda McCann, aged 65 and 63, along with their son Daniel, 40, were hauled before Swansea Crown Court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing — and ordered to hand over £1,091,330.61 in cash, property and luxury assets.

The trio ran a sophisticated cannabis factory in Blaenllain, near Whitland, hidden inside a barn rigged with grow rooms, industrial ovens, oil extraction gear and drying racks. Police raided the site in October 2020, uncovering 202 plants, 80kg of product, and £10,000 in cash — plus a cannabis-infused chocolate bar on the kitchen table.

Industrial cannabis lab uncovered in Blaenllain barn — ovens, presses and oil extraction gear seized.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)Young cannabis plants growing in humidity domes — part of the McCann family’s rural drug setup.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)Mature cannabis plants under lights and fans — Carmarthenshire factory rigged for industrial-scale production.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)Drying racks filled with harvested cannabis — seized in Dyfed-Powys Police raid.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)Cannabis grow room with reflective insulation and hanging lights — part of £4.9m operation near Whitland.
(Image: Dyfed Powys Police)

“They thought they could hide in the countryside — they were wrong”

Detective Chief Inspector Rhys Jones said:

“The McCann family picked out this property thinking they could come to a rural, secluded spot and go unnoticed. They were mistaken.”

He called the raid “one of the biggest single warrants the force has carried out to date,” and praised officers for gathering intelligence from even the most remote communities.

All three were jailed for conspiracy to produce and supply cannabis, with sentences ranging from six years and seven months to eight years and six months.

Now, thanks to a financial probe, the family must also surrender assets including two properties, a Mercedes, Porsche, Harley Davidson and jewellery.

Detective Sergeant Owen Lock said:

“We’ve taken their prison sentences one step further — making sure they pay back the profits and hand over the assets. You cannot profit from crime.”

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Neath cops bust secret cannabis factory in abandoned M&S
Police uncover industrial-scale grow setup in town centre — officers say it could’ve been South Wales’ biggest ever.

Police raid huge cannabis farm in Neath
South Wales Police seize hundreds of plants in coordinated raid targeting organised crime.

Over £860,000 of cannabis seized in one week
Dyfed-Powys and South Wales Police join forces in multi-site crackdown across Llanelli and Kidwelly.

Two men jailed after Swansea cannabis factory raid
Pair sentenced after police uncover large-scale grow in city centre flat.

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#Blaenllain #Cannabis #CannabisFarm #DyfedPowysPolice #proceedsOfCrime #Whitland

Editor Oct 31

Catamaran at centre of £100m Swansea cocaine smuggling plot to be auctioned

The Lily Lola was seized off the coast of Cornwall in 2021 after authorities discovered more than a tonne of Class A drugs hidden on board.

The bust led to one of the UK’s largest maritime drug prosecutions, with Swansea men Daniel Payne and Daniel Burgess among those sentenced to long prison terms.

From cocaine bust to auction block

The vessel, now stripped of its criminal past, has been confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act and will be sold unreserved by Wilsons Auctions in its upcoming Prestige Government Auction.

With a guide price of around £80,000, the fully equipped fishing catamaran comes with a commercial licence package, making it immediately operational for fishing or charter work.

“High‑profile asset”

Craig Walker, Contracts Director at Wilsons Auctions, said:

“We are delighted to manage the sale of this high‑profile asset. It is reported that the Lily Lola was intercepted by government agencies carrying over £100 million worth of cocaine during a major operation — and that is why the vessel is now being offered for sale by auction.”

He added that auctions like this have returned more than £150 million to the public purse in recent years.

Swansea connection

The auction marks the latest chapter in a case that shocked South Wales. In July, Swansea Crown Court heard how Payne and Burgess were part of an organised crime group attempting to smuggle the drugs into the UK.

They were sentenced to 25 and 26 years in prison respectively, with other members of the gang also receiving lengthy jail terms.

How to bid

The Lily Lola is currently moored in South Devon and will be sold alongside luxury assets including supercars, powerboats, and high‑end watches.

The auction is open to the public, with online bidding available via the Wilsons Auctions website.

#catamaran #proceedsOfCrime #Swansea