Criminals are trying to flood west Wales with ‘legal ecstasy’ tablets, it has emerged.

They have almost identical effects as ecstasy and takers would not be able to tell the difference.

But whereas ecstasy is a Class A drug, the new concoction is made from chemicals not currently banned.

The development was revealed at Swansea crown court when a dealer was jailed for four years because he thought the tablets he had supplied were genuine ecstasy.

Police were able to prosecute Michael Annalls, aged 25, on the basis that he had tried to deal in ecstasy.

He admitted attempting to possess ecstasy with intent to supply and to attempting to supply the drug.

Patrick Griffiths, prosecuting, said Annalls had given 2,000 of the tablets to Milford man Justin Saunders, a courier acting for Ashley Hughes, from Pembroke Dock.

All concerned, said Mr Griffiths, believed they were dealing in ecstasy.

“They had every appearance of ecstasy and would have had a similar effect,but they were made from substances which are not controlled.

“Illicit laboratories are one step ahead of the law. Only the manufacturer would know they were not ecstasy.”

The tablets, all of which bore motifs similar to those found on real ecstasy, had a street value of up to £8,000.

Police intercepted Saunders, aged 30, of Castle Pill Road, Steynton, Milford Haven, as he headed towards Pembroke Dock on the A477.

They found two locked metal boxes in the passenger footwell. One contained 20 bags of ‘ecstasy’ and the other almost 200 grammes of amphetamine.

He made a complete confession, explaining that Hughes had given him “a large quantity of cash” to take to Cardiff, where he was to meet Annalls and return with what he was given. Hughes and Annalls were arrested. At Hughes’ home police found a key that fitted one of the boxes.

Hughes, aged 23, of Princes Street, Pembroke Dock, has already been jailed for five years and Saunders for 15 months. They had admitted possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Mr Griffiths said police officers who searched Annalls’ house found a safe containing a further 1,049 fake ecstasy tablets.

They were chemically identical to the consignment found in Saunders’ car but came from a different batch.

Mr Griffiths said there were now moves to make the new drug illegal.

Judge Gerald Price said it was clear that Annalls, from Cardiff, was dealing commercially in what he thought were Class A drugs.