In the picturesque fishing village of Newport, West Wales, a covert international drug smuggling ring once clashed with the tight-knit rural community in one of the most audacious criminal conspiracies in British history. A new six-part podcast series by BBC Radio Wales, Operation Seal Bay, brings this forgotten tale back to life. Combining archive materials with exclusive interviews, the podcast uncovers the bizarre events of 1983 when Dyfed-Powys Police unraveled a multimillion-pound drug smuggling operation.
Operation Seal Bay: The Hidden Crime Beneath Welsh Shores
The investigation began with an unusual discovery on a secluded beach, accessible only by boat. A local farmer stumbled upon a watertight hatch, revealing a secret underground bunker. The bunker was reinforced with wooden supports, fibreglass waterproofing, and plywood sheets—an elaborate hideout for smugglers operating in the shadows of the peaceful Newport coast.
Early Clues: Suspicious Activities Spark Investigations
The discovery was only the beginning. Reports began to circulate among locals about unknown men loitering near the beach. Fishermen noted missing lobsters, while high-end marine equipment mysteriously appeared in another remote cove. In the village pubs, gossip swirled about strangers spending lavish amounts of money. These scattered incidents were threads of a much larger tapestry of crime.
