Drug Dealer Ashley Nation Slapped with £9,174 Cash Grab or More Jail Time
Five Years Inside for Maidstone Drug Supplier
Ashley Nation was locked up last year for nearly five years after pleading guilty to dealing cocaine, MDMA, and cannabis. But his nightmare didn’t end at sentencing.
On 29 April 2021, Maidstone Crown Court ordered Nation to cough up assets worth £9,174. This haul includes cash, cash in bank accounts, and designer clothes and shoes seized by cops during raids.
Pay Up or Back to the Slammers
The 36-year-old has three months to pay the full amount or face an extra six months behind bars.
Nation was first busted in May 2019 after police swooped on his flat in Tonbridge Road, Maidstone. Officers found stacks of high-end goods, many still in their boxes, plus nearly £3,000 in cash.
Evidence suggested Nation tried to flush drug packaging down the toilet — white powder residue was spotted around the bowl. A follow-up search weeks later uncovered even more luxury items worth over £30,000. A nearby car was searched, revealing cannabis and cocaine stashes.
Joint Offender Also Hit with Big Bill
Nation got four years and nine months in March 2020 for drugs supply. But police weren’t done.
His co-defendant, Laura Hughes, 39, was hit with a separate confiscation order in February 2021. Hughes, who took Nation’s drug cash into her bank, must pay £23,124 or face jail.
Police Crack Down on Crime Profits
“Kent Police does not stop at the point of conviction for offenders who have benefited financially from their crimes,” said Detective Inspector Annie Clayton of Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.
“The Proceeds of Crime Act is one of our biggest weapons. It lets us seize cash, cars and even lavish homes paid for by crime, forcing criminals to pay for their crimes long after prison.”
