Police seek £112,000 from convicted drug dealer NOTICE OF COURT CASE

Warwickshire Police and the Regional Asset Recovery Team will be in Warwick Crown Court tomorrow requesting a Confiscation Order of £112,000 from a convicted drug dealer. The hearing is currently listed for 9.30am on Thursday 9 March 2006.

Matthew Lee CORNWELL of Balcombe Road Rugby was arrested in February 2005 for the Supply of Class A drugs as a result of a long term police operation to tackle the Class A drugs market in Rugby.

He was convicted on the 12 September 2005 at Warwick Crown Court after pleading guilty to four offences: 2 times the Supply of Class A drugs (ecstacy), Possession of a Controlled Drug (Ecstacy), and Possession with intent to supply (Anabolic Steroids). He received a total custodial sentence of 30 months for these offences.

DI Ali Wright said "We will be asking the courts for a £112,000 confiscation order, but the court will set the final value."

"The money will be confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act and reinvested in policing issues under the Government incentivisation policy. This legislation enables the police to remove the profit from crime and take the benefit from offenders.

DI Wright added "This really is great news for Rugby and comes only a week after police seized drugs worth an estimated £2.5million in the town. Police will continue to target drug related crime around Rugby and take the profit out of crime in Warwickshire."