Drug Dealer Busted with Bags of Cash and £68k in Weed and Speed
A 61-year-old woman from Salvington is behind bars after cops busted her with thousands in cash, drugs, and suspicious goods. Gillian Varns was stopped in June 2020 while driving a van. Officers found £19,000 in cash and a stash of amphetamine in her handbag.
Home Raid Uncovers More Cash and Thousands of Suspect Items
West Sussex officers didn’t stop there. A search of Varns’ home found another £33,000 in cash. They also seized cannabis and amphetamines worth over £68,000 – plus more than 3,000 cosmetic and clothing items still with tags attached. None of it had any proof of legal purchase.
Nine Months Inside and Eye-Watering Cash Confiscated
Varns pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis and amphetamines and possession of criminal property. She was jailed for nine months at Lewes Crown Court in October last year.
At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in May 2022, the court revealed Varns made a whopping £166,400 from her illegal dealings. Authorities slapped a confiscation order on assets valued at £103,189 – including seized cash, her van, bank balances, and the stolen goods. She must pay up within six months.
Cops Vow to Hunt Down Criminal Gains
“This was a complex investigation involving frontline officers, Worthing CID, and financial investigators,” said Detective Inspector Mark O’Brien of the Economic Crime Unit. “We are determined not just to catch criminals involved in drugs and theft, but also to strip them of the benefits of their crimes.”
