Cash Confiscations Wipe Smiles Off Crooks' Faces

15 May 2008 03:19 PM

There are no smiles on the faces of these criminals after West Yorkshire Police stripped them of more than £1million of their ill-gotten gains.

In the last 12 months, specialist financial investigators from the Economic Crime Unit, part of the Force’s Crime Division, have gone through the finances of 14 convicted drugs criminals with a fine-toothed comb and, in conjunction with criminal justice partner agencies, secured confiscation orders worth £1,155,561 using the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

In the run-up to National Drugs Week (May 19 – 23), West Yorkshire

Police is highlighting this ongoing two-pronged attack on those involved in the illegal drugs trade on the streets of the county.

“Our message to those who think they can profit from crime in West Yorkshire and get away with it is clear. We will not only investigate your criminal activity and put you before the courts, we will also use the latest legislation to strip you of the ill-gotten gains you’ve generated from those crimes,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Max Mclean, Head of West Yorkshire Police’s Crime Division.

“Of course we want people who damage our communities with illegal drugs to feel the full weight of the law, but we also want to put them out of business permanently by taking their profits off them. The beauty of the Proceeds of Crime Act is that it gives us the ability to strip negative role models of their ill-gotten gains and to demonstrate clearly that crime does not pay.”

Once confiscation orders have been made, if criminals don’t pay up they can get an additional jail term, plus the debt will still have to be paid.

If in the future, after paying the amount, they appear to have further wealth that police believe has been the result of crime, they can be brought before the courts again to assess any other available assets that can be offset against the overall benefits they have accrued from their crimes.

Det Chief Supt Mclean added: “On a daily basis our highly-trained financial investigators assess anyone charged with a crime where they have made a material benefit. Once the assessment has been made, the Crown Prosecution Service progresses the criminal proceedings and financial investigation through the courts.

“Financial investigators are located at every one of West Yorkshire Police’s Divisions to strip criminals of their ill-gotten gains. The focus for the Criminal Justice Team in West Yorkshire is very clear - remove the profits from crime and hit criminals where it hurts the most.”

Bryan Dent, Force Drugs Co-ordinator, said: “We want to demonstrate to the public that we are totally committed to attacking the wealth of those who profit from the trade in illegal drugs to make sure they do not have a financial base to carry on drug dealing in the future.

“We are always keen to hear from the public about any person who appears to have wealth and possessions without any apparent legal means of funding this lifestyle, and who they suspect may be involved in the drugs trade. As the cases we have highlighted here demonstrate, we have the powers and we are prepared to use them.”

Anyone who has information about anyone involved in the trade in illegal drugs should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Drugs criminals stripped of their profits in the last 12 months.
Images available here (PDF)
Andrew George JENKINS, aged 49, from Pontefract.
Convicted of possessing cannabis with intent to supply and money laundering.
Leeds Crown Court – 12 months suspended for 2 years

Confiscation Order
Benefit £18320.70
Amount Available £14,304.66

Brian Henry PARKER, aged 41, from Eccleshill, Bradford
Convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering offences
Bradford Crown Court – 6 years

Confiscation Order
Benefit £321,938.22
Amount Available £121,640.95

Ajmal AZIZ, aged 26, from Halifax
Convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering offences
Bradford Crown Court – 7 years

Confiscation Order
Benefit £81,080.93
Amount Available £65,502.22

Amjad HUSSAIN, aged 25, from Halifax
Convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering offences
Bradford Crown Court – 3 years 2 months

Confiscation Order
Benefit £497,289.14
Amount Available £239,007.83

Sajid AZIZ, aged 31, of Halifax.
Convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering offences
Bradford Crown Court – 7 years- reduced to 6 years on appeal

Confiscation Order
Benefit £157,532.39
Amount Available £123,330.88

Sajid MOHAMMED, aged 29, of Burley, Leeds.
Convicted of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs.
Leeds Crown Court – 8 years

Confiscation Order
Benefit £420,957.17
Amount Available £392,314.43

Richard PYPE, aged 31, of Mirfield.
Convicted of production of cannabis
Bradford Crown Court – 200hrs unpaid work

Confiscation Order
Benefit £46,228
Amount Available £46,228

Michele TARANTINO, aged 32, of Leeds.
Convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
Leeds Crown Court – 30 months

Confiscation Order
Benefit £24,500
Amount Available £24,500

Shahik MIAH, aged 28, of Keighley.
Convicted of possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and money laundering
Bradford Crown Court – 2 years

Confiscation Order
Benefit £33,387.80
Amount Available £33,387.80

Nassar Mukhtar AHMED, aged 29, of Batley.
Convicted of possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply.
Leeds Crown Court – 24 months

Confiscation Order
Benefit £134,232.20
Amount Available £22,510.37

Michael Bernard GLEDHILL, aged 38, of Laisterdyke, Bradford.
Convicted of possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
Bradford Crown Court – 18 months

Confiscation Order
Benefit £46,860.56
Amount Available £17,199.30

Kim Ahn DIEP, aged 27, of Lupset, Wakefield.
Convicted of production of cannabis
Leeds Crown Court – 4 years

Confiscation Order
Benefit £36,000.00
Amount Available £7,053.79

Patrick Trevor DAVIS, aged 40, of Buttershaw, Bradford.
Convicted of possessing amphetamine with intent to supply.
Leeds Crown Court – 12 months

Confiscation Order
Benefit £18,581.15
Amount Available £18,581.15

Nigel John WARD, aged 42, of Pudsey, Leeds.
Convicted of possessing cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamine with intent to supply.
Leeds Crown Court – 78 months

Confiscation Order
Benefit £39,195.81
Amount Available £30,000