£1.5m confiscated from drug dealers

10:03am Wednesday 14th May 2008

West Yorkshire Police has named and shamed drug dealers who they have stripped of more than £1 million of ill-gotten gains.

Three Bradford men and one from Keighley are among 14 criminals who have had their assets seized after being brought to justice.

Police chiefs today warned that criminals who deal in drugs will be locked up and put out of business by having their profits taken away.

Financial investigators in the Force have used the 2002 Proceeds of Crime Act to secure confiscation orders to a total of £1,155,561 from convicted drugs criminals in the past year.

Among the villains was Brian Henry Parker, 41, of Eccleshill, who was jailed for six years for drug trafficking and money laundering and has had £121,640 confiscated.

Others who had assets seized were Shahik Miah, 28, of Keighley, who had £33,387 confiscated after he was jailed for two years for possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and money laundering; Michael Bernard Gledhill, 38, of Laisterdyke, jailed for 18 months for possessing cannabis with intent to supply, and £17,199 confiscated; and 40-year-old Patrick Trevor Davis, of Buttershaw, imprisoned for 12 months for possessing amphetamines with intent to supply, £18,581 assets seized.

Pudsey man Nigel John Ward, 42, had £30,000 confiscated after he was jailed for six and a half years for possessing cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines with intent to supply.

And Richard Pype, 31, of Mirfield, had £46,228 confiscated. He was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work for producing cannabis.

Detective Chief Superintendent Max Mclean, head of West Yorkshire Police's Crime Division, said the message to those who think they can profit from crime in West Yorkshire was 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 have generated from those crimes," he said.

"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."

Criminals can get extra jail sentences if they fail to honour the confiscation orders. And if they later acquire wealth which police believe has been the result of crime, they can have their assets assessed again at court.

"Our financial investigators assess anyone charged with crime, where they have made a material benefit, on a daily basis," said Det Chief Supt Mclean.

Force drugs co-ordinator Bryan Dent said: "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. We have the powers and we are prepared to use them."

Anyone with information about someone involved in drug dealing should contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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