Drug dealer ordered to pay back £20,000

11 November 2010, 15:05 | Updated: 11 November 2010, 15:08

A Milton Keynes drug dealer has been ordered to pay back over £20,000 after a hearing at Huntingdon Crown Court on 5 November.

Ibrahim Ali, aged 24, from Elmers Park, Bletchley, was stopped and searched by Thames Valley Police on 7 May 2009, as part of an ongoing investigation and was found to be in possession of a large amount of cannabis.

Officers subsequently carried out a search at FLAVA takeaway, Northampton, a property associated with Ali, and nine bags of cannabis were seized from a room above the restaurant. The cannabis seized weighed approximately 10 kilograms and the average bulk value of the drugs was calculated at £36,109.

Ali pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a controlled drug at Huntingdon Crown Court on 7 December 2009 and was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

After ongoing liaison between the officer in charge of the case and the Asset Recovery Team, a confiscation investigation was instigated. A number of bank accounts, all of which had substantial balances, were identified and a restraint order obtained preventing Ali from disposing of his assets.

Subsequently, a confiscation hearing took place at Huntingdon Crown Court and a confiscation order was granted for £20,047.18. It was accepted that the defendant had benefited £86,109 from his offence.

The Asset Recovery Team’s primary goal is to deprive criminals from their ill-gotten gains. Under the current scheme, approximately 18 per cent of all assets confiscated are returned to Thames Valley Police.

Det Insp Kevin Rowe, Head of the Economic Crime Unit, said: “This case is a good example of how we can maximise our powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to deprive offenders of their assets. £24,000 in cash was also seized from the defendant during the initial search warrant. This has been successfully forfeited from Ali at the Magistrates’ Court. Therefore the total amount Ali has lost is £44,047.18.”