The Met Police’s biggest ever drugs money haul is to be spent on fighting crime.
A judge ordered on Tuesday (February 24) that the £600,000 cash, seized in July last year in leafy Barons Court and St John’s Wood, should be forfeited to help police take more criminals’ cash.
The raids in Queens Club Gardens, Barons Court, and Eamont Court, St John’s Wood, on July 29 was the biggest single seizure of drugs money the Met has ever made.
At Eamont Court they found £313,345 and €519,940 cash and at the Queens Club Gardens address they found 4kg cocaine in the kitchen and 105kg of cannabis in the loft.
Five men were arrested and put on trial where four pleaded guilty to numerous drugs offences and were jailed for a total of 18 years and four months.
When police seize drugs cash the onus is on the owner to prove it has come from a legitimate source but the drug dealers denied ownership so the entire amount has been ordered to go to the Met.
DCI Simon Welch, of the central criminal finances team, said: “It’s ironic this money will now be used to target other criminals. We are committed to taking cash and assets from criminals.
“The sentences they received demonstrate that there are significant consequences to their actions and the money that we seize contributes to activities aimed at targeting criminals who benefit from crime. The message is, if you think your money and assets are safe, think again.”
Klaudio Lepuri, 22, of The Knoll, Scotts Road, Shepherd’s Bush, was jailed for six years on January 7 for conspiracy to supply Class A (cocaine), Class B (cannabis) and possession of criminal property.
Fatjon Bibaj, 19, and Gjin Elezi, 32, both of Eamont Court, St John's Wood, were jailed for four and five years respectively for supplying Class A (cocaine) and possession of criminal property.
Steven North, 31, of Oxford Drive, Ruislip, was jailed for three years four months for conspiracy to supply Class A (cocaine) and possession of Class C drugs.
A fifth person was released with no further action.
