Court seizes £4k from jailed drug dealer

A MAN jailed for nearly five years must hand over thousands made from drug dealing and money laundering.

Shakur Ahmed Y Ellam must give £4,160 to police to help fund community projects and further financial investigations.

The 26-year-old, of Conway Crescent, Batley Carr is currently serving a four year and 11 month sentence for possessing criminal property and a string of drugs offences including possessing heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.

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Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday that officers seized drugs with a street value of £1,350 and cash worth £1,635 from Ellam during various raids in 2009 and 2010. They seized a further £1,555 from Ellam on one of the occasions when he was arrested.

Prosecutor Anthony Moore said papers had now been completed which would authorise police to keep the cash seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 with the court’s approval. The cash seized accounted for £2,810 of the money made from criminal activity.

He said West Yorkshire Police investigators found Ellam had £1,010 in bank accounts, which could go towards paying the outstanding £1,350. Simon Perkins, for Ellam, asked for his client to be given 42 days to pay.

Judge Sally Cahill QC agreed, but warned Ellam that he would serve an extra 45 days in prison if he did not pay in time. “Even if you serve that 45 days in prison, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay the money so it’s in your interest to pay,” she said.

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After the hearing, Det Insp Fran Naughton, of the Economic Crime Unit, said: “Confiscations like this send the clear message to drug dealers that we use all powers available to stop them leading luxurious lives while heaping misery on others.”

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