Farmer’s wife & Secretly Controlling one of the Largest Organized Crime Families in Wales

[Social Media]

 

The quiet, picturesque village of Capel Dewi in rural Wales is the kind of place where life moves slowly. The community, largely made up of retirees and dairy farmers, enjoys painting classes, craft markets, and the occasional pizza night at the village hall. Up a narrow country lane lies Pibwr Farm, a cluster of cabins and sheds adorned with signs warning of CCTV and guard dogs. This seemingly typical Welsh farm was once home to Lynne Leyson, a 52-year-old woman who appeared to be nothing more than a regular middle-aged wife and mother of three.

 

 

However, behind this facade, Lynne was leading a double life, secretly controlling one of the largest organized crime families in Wales. From this very farm, she orchestrated the distribution of cocaine and cannabis throughout the region. Lynne Leyson’s involvement in the drug trade remained hidden for years, but now she has become one of the UK's most wanted fugitives after disappearing over a year ago.

 

Her name and aliases have been circulated to police forces across the country, and Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to her capture. The story of Lynne’s transformation from a seemingly respectable member of a rural community to one of the country’s most-hunted criminals seems like something out of a TV show like "Ozark" or "Breaking Bad." But how did it all happen?

 

 

The village of Capel Dewi was thrown into shock on the early morning of October 27, 2021, when police officers, accompanied by sniffer dogs, raided Pibwr Farm. Although the raid surprised the villagers, there had been signs that all was not as it seemed on this smallholding. Some residents had noticed large, intimidating dogs guarding the property, occasionally caught the scent of cannabis in the air, and observed high-end cars speeding in and out of the farm, especially during weekends. A few locals even claimed to have seen polytunnels where cannabis plants were growing, but no one could have guessed the scale of the criminal operation taking place.

 

During the raid, police uncovered 592 grams of cocaine with a street value of up to £60,200, and 1.4 kilograms of cannabis worth £15,615. They also found a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, hidden in a cavity in the ceiling of a cabin, stashed in a canvas bag. This was the first firearm of its kind ever discovered in the Dyfed-Powys Police area. Most of the drugs were hidden in a dog shed and a green suitcase left in a field corner. Additionally, assets such as a £9,550 Tag Heuer Formula 1 watch and £17,190 in cash were recovered. The Leysons initially denied any involvement in criminal activity, claiming that the money had come from a “house sale.” 

 

However, the evidence told a different story. According to Detective Chief Inspector Rhys Jones of the Dyfed-Powys Police, "The Leyson family are an organized crime group who tried to make a quick buck by selling large quantities of cocaine and cannabis to sub-dealers across south-west Wales." He added, "We hope this case sends a clear message that we are continuously working to disrupt the supply of illegal substances in our force area and will prosecute anyone who tries to spread their misery through our communities for financial gain."

 

The police investigation, codenamed Operation Hilston, led to the arrest and conviction of Lynne’s husband, Stephen Leyson, and their son, Samson. In July 2023, Stephen, now 56, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, while Samson, 25, received a six-year sentence. The operation also uncovered two drug dealers working for the Leyson family in Pembrokeshire, including one known by the nickname "Mr. Pickles." These dealers were also apprehended and jailed. However, Lynne managed to skip bail after the trial, disappearing before she could be sentenced.

 

Judge Catherine Richards described Lynne as a “dominant force” in the drug operation, playing a “leading role” in directing the criminal activities from the farm. In her absence, Lynne was sentenced to nine years in prison. One neighbor, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed disbelief at the revelation of Lynne's criminal activities. “They seemed like a normal farming family… a bit rough around the edges like a lot of country people. Lynne seemed very normal really – not a cocaine dealer like she was. It is all very odd,” the neighbor said.

 

Lynne Leyson’s life began far from the criminal underworld she would later dominate. She grew up in Swansea and attended Dynevor School, a now-closed institution that once counted notable figures such as Harry Secombe, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, and Conservative MPs Nigel Evans and Julian Lewis among its alumni. In 1998, Lynne married Stephen, and the couple went on to have three children. Lynne worked as a carer, but her early brushes with the law foreshadowed her later criminal activities; she was prosecuted for theft after stealing from one of her clients. Stephen, described by his lawyer during the trial as a “hopeless cocaine addict,” also had a history of criminal behavior, including a stint in Cardiff prison for grievous bodily harm (GBH).

 

The Leyson family initially lived in Kidwelly, a town 15 miles from Capel Dewi, where their involvement in the drug trade began to take shape. Neighbors in Kidwelly reported that the Leysons sold drugs out of an ice-cream van, with one saying, “He used to drive and she’d serve, but they were serving more than ice cream, put it that way.” In 2019, Stephen inherited farmland on the outskirts of Capel Dewi from his father, providing the Leysons with an ideal, isolated location to expand their drug operation.

 

Despite the ongoing manhunt, Lynne Leyson remains elusive. Judge Richards expressed confidence that Lynne, who has used the alias Annelyn Caldicot, would eventually be arrested and brought to justice. Police have searched several addresses across south Wales linked to the Leysons, but Lynne has vanished without a trace. There are rumors that she may have fled to Thailand, where her father, who passed away in 2023, owned property. Lynne also has family in West Yorkshire, but they are estranged from her.

 

Her half-brother, Patrick Brooke, 56, expressed surprise and confusion upon learning about her criminal activities. “I knew nothing about any of this. I have not seen her for 20-odd years, not since she was a kid of 15,” he said. “Nobody has had anything to do with her. No one even knew anything about the court case. I didn’t even know she was married. My dad had a place in Thailand. It is in a village. Not one of the main towns, I could not tell you where it was. She may be heading to Thailand. She won’t be coming to us, that is for sure.”

 

Credit: Daily Telegraph  2024-08-10

 

 

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[thesetat2013]

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

Her name and aliases have been circulated to police forces across the country, and Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to her capture

Not much of a reward considering her criminal activity and claims she is the leader of one of the countries largest crime families. 

[nobodysfriend]

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

but Lynne has vanished without a trace. There are rumors that she may have fled to Thailand, where her father, who passed away in 2023, owned property.

 

Welcome to the expat community ...

Thailand , the hub of escaped criminals ?

[newbee2022]

Nice British faces

[Snackbar]

Down Terrace

[Jeff the Chef]

Now there's lovely, welcome to Wales, where men are men and sheep are worried.

[impulse]

3 hours ago, thesetat2013 said:

Not much of a reward considering her criminal activity and claims she is the leader of one of the countries largest crime families. 

 

And I have this vision of a press conference where they present him the check.

 

Followed quickly by a suicide or a death by a rare flesh eating bacteria.  (That's a Boeing reference for anyone not following that story)

 

[Tug]

Probably allready dead and buried 

[brianthainess]

7 hours ago, Social Media said:

She may be heading to Thailand. She won’t be coming to us, that is for sure.”

Even before I read that, I was thinking she has come here. I never understand why people on bail are allowed to keep their passport, while awaiting sentencing especially with previous form (if she had one), but I'm sure with her contacts she could get a forged one. 

[Will B Good]

7 hours ago, Social Media said:

She may be heading to Thailand

 

She'll be safe if she's made it.......everyone knows once a criminal escapes abroad it is impossible for them to be found and returned to their country of origin.

[BritManToo]

Just legalise all drugs,

Cant get all that excited over a small amount of cocaine (0.5Kg) and cannabis (1.5Kg).

It's not as if she stabbed anyone, or broke a policewoman's nose.

Edited August 10 by BritManToo

[Will B Good]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Just legalise all drugs,

Cant get all that excited over a small amount of cocaine (0.5Kg) and cannabis (1.5Kg).

It's not as if she stabbed anyone, or broke a policewoman's nose.

 

 

Including stuff like fentanyl? 

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Including stuff like fentanyl? 

Adults should be allowed to harm themselves in any way they choose,

Over eating, under exercising, drugs, smoking, alcohol, fast motorcycles ....... up to them.

[Watawattana]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Adults should be allowed to harm themselves in any way they choose,

Over eating, under exercising, drugs, smoking, alcohol, fast motorcycles ....... up to them.

 

And the mental health harm of joining in Forums like this? 🤪

[lavender19]

Not much of a haul from a supposed crime family. About 90k

[Regyai]

8 hours ago, Jeff the Chef said:

Now there's lovely, welcome to Wales, where men are men and sheep are worried.

 

 

The only welcome in Wales 

 

is kept in the hillside

(so the song goes)

[Thingamabob]

Not that much by way of criminal activity, and a very small reward offered. Anyway, it's about time the use of cocaine and cannabis by adults is decriminalised in the UK.