A drugs gang with luxury cars boasting the slogan 'crime pays' on their vehicle number plates have been jailed. The group amassed £6 million in assets including sports cars and top-end caravans from pushing cocaine, reports Essex Live.
Swansea Crown Court heard the Essex gang had netted £6,018,395.85 in proceeds from their criminal activities. The Proceeds of Crime Act hearing went ahead recently after the three men involved in the illegal enterprise were jailed last year.
The trio were part of a criminal gang which trafficked approximately 50kg of coke from London and Essex to Wales. For their crimes, Leon Ley, 34, was sentenced to 11 years and three months and Dale Martin, 28, was sentenced to 12 years.
Their partner Daniel Harris, 40, was sentenced to 16 years, giving the gang nearly 40 years in jail time combined. Now back in court, the trio were ordered to to pay a total of £267,957.06 to make up for their activities.
South Wales Police say they expect additional confiscations will take place, with a final confiscation matter still pending with an anticipated benefit of £798,928.15 and additional recoverable assets of £264,501.56.
Jo Williams, South Wales Police’s financial investigator, who secured the orders, said: "This result shows the fantastic work carried out by the Economic Crime Unit who have supported the investigation of Op Tilbury.
“The suspects were convicted previously and received substantial sentences, so to follow on with this incredible level of orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act is fantastic and really moves towards disrupting organised crime groups.
"We also secured an image of the number plate Daniel Harris was using back in 2011 when he was subject of another investigation, Operation Cougar.
"As can be seen, at that time his private number plate had the words ‘Crime Pays’, something which I’m sure he now regrets.”
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