Man with suspected fake mobile phones arrested during day of action

Police arrested a man with a number of suspected counterfeit mobile phones during a day of action in Llanelli.

Dyfed-Powys Police officers took part in coordinated patrols to tackle substance-related crime and antisocial behaviour on Thursday, May 20, as well as carrying out three warrants in the town.

Sergeant Scott Morris said: “This was the latest in a series of days of action which have been held in Llanelli and wider Carmarthenshire over the past couple of months.

“Our aim was to work together to combat drug-related criminality, including county lines and antisocial behaviour, through proactive policing action.

“Our reason for conducting these days of action is that we understand the misery drug-related crime can cause in our communities, and believe coordinated action is the most effective way to put a stop to it.”

Three drug warrants were executed during the day, with two having positive results for class A substances and cannabis. An imitation firearm was also located and surrendered voluntarily by its owner.

Four stop-searches were carried out, with six crimes recorded for fraud and possession of controlled substances.

Sgt Morris said: “One of the searches relates to a man who caught the attention of officers on patrol in the town centre.

“A number of sealed Samsung Galaxy mobiles, iPhones and Apple AirPods were found in his car, many of which had the same serial numbers as one another, which would suggest they were fake.

“The items, which if legitimate would be worth in excess of £5,000, were seized and the man was arrested on suspicion of fraud.”

The 25-year-old from the Wolverhampton area has been released under investigation while further enquiries take place, and work will be carried out with Trading Standards to determine if the items were genuine.

Sgt Morris said: “The day of action was successful both in terms of results and in giving our younger-in-service officers exposure to the kind of work they might not usually experience at this stage in their career.

“I would like to thank everyone involved for their enthusiasm, which wasn’t dampened by the awful weather conditions.”