Jailed Man Ordered to Pay Back £90k

20 March 2013, 05:00

A Suffolk man's been ordered to pay more than 90 thousand pounds after he was jailed for drug trafficking.

Trevor Cairns of Laurels End in Beccles appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 15 March, and was ordered to pay £91,000 as part of a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing. The hearing follows his conviction for drug trafficking and evasion of duty offences at Ipswich Crown Court in July 2012.

In September 2011, officers from the Lowestoft Territorial Support Team executed a Misuse of Drugs Act warrant at his home address and £13,000 worth of cannabis, £5000 in cash and large amounts of tobacco and cigarettes were seized.  He was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Police re-attended the address later the same month with colleagues from HMRC.  Additional amounts of tobacco and cigarettes were found within vehicles, and vehicles worth £17,000 were seized under the Customs and Excise Management Act.  Cairns was then further arrested on suspicion of evasion of excise duty and money laundering.

Cairns was charged with six offences, he pleaded guilty to two drug trafficking offences and two offences of evasion of duty spanning a twelve-month period.  He appeared at Ipswich Crown Court in July 2012 and was sentenced to a year's imprisonment. 

Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings have been ongoing since his arrest and a restraint order was obtained preventing him from dissipating his assets. On Friday 15 March, he was ordered to pay back £91,000. He must settle the order within three months or he will face a further term of imprisonment of up to two years.

Andy Gould who leads the Suffolk Police Financial Investigation Unit said; "The Financial Investigation Unit in Suffolk strives to ensure that those who commit crime and benefit financially will be forced to pay back the profits they have made from their activities. 

"This case in particular demonstrates that by applying the Proceeds of Crime Act legislation, we can ensure that criminals do not prosper from acting dishonestly and will be brought to justice.

"I hope this serves as a warning to those who choose to engage in these crimes, that the possession and supply of drugs can not only result in a custodial sentence, but also severe financial penalties."