Must serve another 15 months or pay back £38,000

A drug dealer has been ordered to surrender more than £38,000 he made from his criminality or face another 15 months in prison.

Mehrdad Seyedi, 25 of Osbourne Road, Acton, was ordered on 14 May to pay back the proceeds of his drug dealing following his conviction at Kingston Crown Court last year after being found guilty of possession with intent to supply cocaine. He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and the prosecution requested a confiscation investigation.

Following an investigation by the Ealing Payback Unit a confiscation order was made that assessed Seyedi's criminal benefit as £38,682.18.

Seyedi had in excess of £25,000 in one savings account and was driving an expensive motor vehicle. These and other assets had already been subject of a restraint order so he was not able to dispose of them prior to the confiscation hearing. He was ordered to pay back the £38,682.18 within 3 months or serve an additional 15 months imprisonment.

Additionally, in excess of £6,000 cash was also subject to forfeiture under the Proceeds of Crime Act after Seyedi was stopped on 3 separate occasions and found to be carrying in excess of the £1,000 minimum.

DC Lloyd Strang from Payback Unit said: "Ealing Borough Payback Unit will continue to actively target drug dealers in order to reduce the harm that they cause to the community. The £38,000 will still be owing even if Seyedi serves the default sentence sending a strong message that offenders will not profit from their crimes."

June 2, 2009