A CRIMINAL described as being "involved in drug dealing at its highest level" has been ordered to pay back more than £320,000 – the value of everything he owns.
Grimsby man David Thabet, 56, was jailed for ten years last September after being arrested on the A1 in Hertfordshire following a "lengthy" police investigation.
When he was detained he was found to be in possession of 1kg of pure cocaine and 1kg of Benzocaine, a cutting agent.
His home in Highfield Avenue, in Grimsby, was raided by Humberside Police officers in May 2012, where they discovered 33kg of cannabis resin, 3kg of amphetamine sulphate, 1kg of cocaine, and numerous amounts of adulterants and cutting agents, worth around £500,000.
He was jailed for ten years at Harrow Crown Court after pleading guilty on the second day of his trial to seven drug offences.
Police say his stay in prison will have a "significant and positive impact on the local drug supply in the Grimsby area".
And now the same court has ordered Thabet to pay back £322,346 over a six-month period, an amount representing the value of everything he owns, including his property in Grimsby, and a luxury apartment in Maida Vale, London, under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Should Mr Thabet fail to pay the amount back within six months, he will have a further three years and three months added to his prison sentence, and the amount he owes will increase by a further 8 per cent each year.
It was discovered during the police probe that Mr Thabet had benefited to the tune of £596,410 from his criminal activity.
Humberside Police financial investigator Ashley Pearson said: "The investigation into the criminal activity of David Thabet was a lengthy process which involved a number of officers from both Humberside and Hertfordshire Police.
"The ten-year prison sentence and the confiscation order shows that all the hard work has paid off.
"At the height of his criminal activity Mr Thabet was involved in drug dealing at its highest level.
"He was responsible for purchasing large amounts of Class A and B controlled drugs and conveying them to the Grimsby area.
"His time in prison will have a significant and positive impact on the local drug supply in the Grimsby area.
"This will offer reassurance to the safety of the local community."
Mr Pearson continued: "I would like this to be a warning to all of those people who are involved in this sort of criminal activity.
"Justice takes many forms, and police forces across the country are committed to using every tool available to ensure criminals are punished for their crimes.
"Drug trafficking is a risky business, and not only has David Thabet received a significant prison sentence for his wrongdoing, but he has lost everything he worked for.
"When he is eventually released, he will find his home and his luxury flat are gone, his car is sold, and his bank accounts are empty.
"This is the reality that those involved in crime face from modern policing methods, which do not stop when the prison door closes behind them."
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