Dealer with £100,000 of cocaine has profits confiscated
A DRUG dealer found with packages of cocaine worth £100,000 after a spot check by police has had his profits confiscated.
Joshua Stratford was jailed in March for eight years and four months and his case was listed again at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The court previously heard he was stopped by officers at about 4pm on January 29 while he was driving in a Volkswagen Scirocco on Cardiff Road in Dinas Powys.
When police searched the vehicle, they discovered a block of white powder wrapped up in the boot, which was later found to contain 998g of cocaine with a purity of 74%.
There was another block of white powder in the glove box – 27.8g of cocaine – and a drawstring bag containing £13,230 in notes.
Stratford was arrested and police raided his former partner’s home in Caerau later that day, where they found three packages of cocaine inside a handbag. The total amount of cocaine seized was 1.595kg, with an estimated street value of about £100,000.
Stratford claimed he had become a courier after being approached by a man he knew, who asked him to run errands for him.
Stratford, 27, of Wilson Road in Ely, admitted possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply, concealing criminal property and breaching a restraining order.
Andrew Taylor, defending, said his client became involved in drug dealing after using cocaine on a recreational basis.
During the Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, prosecutor Roger Griffiths said Stratford made £168,194 from his criminal conduct and had £48,601.05p available for confiscation.
Ruth Smith, defending, said the figures were agreed between the prosecution and the defence.
Judge David Wynn Morgan made an order for £48,601.05p to be confiscated and another for the drugs to be destroyed.
Stratford will have 56 days to pay or face a jail term of 18 months.