Coke Dealers Cash Confiscated

In 2005 The Middle Market Drugs Project (MMDP), a joint Metropolitan Police and Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) drug trafficking investigation unit carried out an operation codenamed ‘Operation Eyemouth’ which was looking at an organised criminal gang involved in drug trafficking in South West and West London.  Roger O’Brien a plumber of Hampton, Middlesex was an integral part of this crime organisation.

This investigation led to MMDP officers stopping O’Brien outside his home address and found him to be in possession of £24,000. O’Brien did not have a satisfactory explanation as to why he would be carrying this large sum of money which he had in a cooler bag! Consequently, officers arrested him under suspicion of money laundering and the cash was seized.

A further search was subsequently carried out on O’Brien’s address and a further £2,060 was found along with €50,000 euros. Again, O’Brien could not explain this cash and it was also seized. More cash was found secreted in his Mercedes van . The total amount seized finally totalled £95,000. This cash was later the subject of a forfeiture order obtained in April 2006.

Alongside the cash found in O’Brien’s Mercedes Sprinter van was a package containing a kilo of cocaine which would have a street value of approximately £90,000. O’Brien was then charged and later convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering offences and subsequently received a 9 year prison sentence.

The investigation and discovery of this large amount of cash suggested that O’Brien would have substantial assets and so the London Regional Asset Recovery Team stepped in to investigate. This financial investigation found that O’Brien had assets including properties and land not only in the UK but also in Marbella, Spain.

The photograph shows a property in Uxbridge that he had built with some of the criminal proceeds.

The investigation led to O’Brien being given a confiscation order of £192,338.93 which he has six months to pay. If he fails to do so he will receive a further 2 and a half years on his prison sentence and will still have to satisfy the order.

London RART and the MMDP were delighted with this result as it shows

the drug dealers of London that their crimes will not pay.