Operation Nissan was a West Yorkshire Police investigation conducted in 2004 by their Drug Squad relating to large scale supply of heroin predominantly in the Bradford area.
Parvinder Panesar was one of seven defendants referred to the North East Regional Asset Recovery Team following their convictions in October 2005 of Conspiracy to Supply Controlled Drugs (Class A) whereupon a confiscation investigation was commenced. At the subsequent confiscation hearing at Bradford Crown court in September 2007, the defendant’s benefit was declared by the court to be £30,687 and a confiscation order was made to that effect.
It was not felt that this order reflected Panesar’s true benefit and the appeal process was instigated by the NE RART. On 17th July 2008, The Court of Appeal Criminal Division varied the confiscation order by in excess of £140,000 to the sum of £174,087.
DCI Steve Waite, Head of the North East Regional Asset Recovery Team stated “This result should encourage others to consider the appeals process when faced with this dilemma. The NE RART is committed to ensuring that criminals do not retain the proceeds of their illegal enterprises and that the opportunities made available by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are used to their full extent”