A major Cardiff drug dealer was caught preparing to leave the country with a suitcase full of designer clothing, a court heard. Pierre Lima had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and paid his landlord more than £28,000 in cash while renting a waterfront flat in Cardiff Bay.
The 29-year-old took regular trips to luxury hotels in Spain and Dubai as well as paying thousands of pounds for cosmetic surgery in Turkey. He lived in Capella House, Falcon Drive, described in one estate agent's listing as a "popular gated Cardiff Bay development with 24-hour concierge".
Last August police spotted Lima and his accomplice Lee Powell, 28, arriving at a block of flats on Rutland Street, Grangetown. A South Wales Police spokesperson said the pair "entered and exited the flats in quick succession and were seen to split up on leaving". Powell was arrested minutes later and a kilogram of cocaine worth up to £74,500 was found at his address along with £1,500 in cash.
