Kent Police Strike Back: £1.8 Million Recovered from Crooks
Kent’s Proceeds of Crime Team is hitting criminals where it hurts – their wallets. Using powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act, police are stripping drug dealers, fraudsters, and organised criminals of cash and assets earned through illegal means.
Eye-Watering Hauls and High-Profile Seizures
In 2022/23 alone, police secured a staggering £1,799,664 by winning 110 court orders after thorough checks into offenders’ finances. Here are some headline-grabbing hits:
- £20,000 BMW and quad bike seized: A Lamberhurst coke dealer jailed for nearly four years saw his luxury car and quad taken after cops found a stash of cocaine at his rented property.
- £110,000 cash haul forfeited from Gravesend couple: They claimed the cash came from a late relative, but police investigations unveiled the story was fishy — some notes were even printed after the relative died.
- Porsche confiscated from fraudster in Sheerness: Caught driving his flashy Porsche despite owing over £1 million from a prior court order linked to a car scam.
- £72,982 payback from Gravesend investment fraudster: Ten victims got compensation after the man behind a complex scam was forced to cough up following jail for fraud and money laundering.
- Drug lord in Paddock Wood hit for £78,000: Caught after Europol cracked the encrypted EncroChat message system used to arrange high-value cocaine deals.
How The Proceeds of Crime Act Works
The Act lets officers recover criminal gains in two main ways:
- Confiscation Orders: Make criminals pay back the profits from their crimes. Last year, Kent Police secured 63 orders totaling £838,928.
- Forfeiture Orders: Take away assets gained through crime, totalling 47 orders worth £960,736.
Plus, the team can freeze bank accounts and seize luxury items like watches, metals, and artwork — bringing in over £2.7 million in value last year alone.
Police Vow to Keep the Pressure On
“Our financial investigators do a fantastic job ensuring offenders do not continue to benefit from their crimes after being released from prison,” said Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Pritchard, head of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.
“Even if they’ve spent all their money, we keep checking their finances until every penny made from drugs, fraud or any illegal activity is paid back.”
“There will be no let-up in our efforts to target those harming communities. Criminals in Kent should know we’ve got the resources and skills to bring them down.”
Recovered assets get shared between police and the Home Office through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), funding future crime-fighting efforts.
See Something Suspicious? Report It!
If you suspect someone’s living off dirty money or hidden wealth, report it to Kent Police at www.kent.police.uk/report. Or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also use their online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
