Former detective sergeant Stephen Phillips and constables Philip Christopher Evans and Michael Stokes took some of the cash from two safes found in a house they raided in 2011, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Peter Griffiths QC said the remainder was then taken by Phillips and Stokes while they performed the formal count in a police station.
Phillips, 47, of Swansea, is accused of four counts of theft while Evans, 38, of Llangennech, and 35-year-old Stokes, of Glynneath, both face two charges.
All three deny the charges against them.
He said: ‘In this country we have a police force which we are proud of. It’s a fundamentally well run and long-established public body comprised of numerous men and women who are expected to carry out their duties to the highest standard.
‘Honesty and integrity are the bedrock of public confidence in the police force.
‘Regrettably, there are often a few bad apples … and this case is an illustration of that. It’s a case of police corruption.’
The court heard that Phillips, Evans and Stokes executed a search warrant on a property in Penderry Road, Swansea, four years ago.
The court heard the first tranche of cash was taken by all three defendants, who acted ‘in concert’ with one another during the raid.
Mr Griffiths told the court the trio all worked for the Welsh force’s organised crime unit and were close friends.
He said they had managed to open one of two safes during a raid and helped themselves to around £12,000 in cash belonging to a man called Joedyn Luben.
The second safe was later opened at a locksmiths in Swansea. The prosecution’s case is that the £1,000 inside, owned by Natalie Luben, was taken by Evans and Stokes.
‘The remainder of the cash was stolen from both safes by Phillips and Stokes on July 21 during the formal count,’ Mr Griffiths added.
Source: Metro Uk