Drug dealer ordered to pay more than £150,000 after cocaine conviction

Khaliq Malik, 30, of Bankside Street, Harehills, Leeds, was one of 35 people arrested in June 2008 as part of Operation Brava, a Leeds-wide crackdown on street drug dealers.

Malik, who had no previous convictions, was jailed for three years for supplying class A drugs and possession of criminal property, after being caught carrying out a single £40 cocaine deal.

Following his arrest, searches of his home led to police to find £19,450 in his loft, which he claimed was the profit made from his car sales businesses.

However, a separate investigation by the City and Holbeck Division’s proceeds of crime team established his tax declarations to the taxman and other financial documents, which detailed low profits from his business, did not tally up with his finances and assets.

Malik was also unable to account for several payments made into his own bank account.

At a hearing at Leeds Crown Court yesterday, Judge Jennifer Kershaw QC granted a confiscation order totalling £155,786 – the amount by which Malik had been found to have benefited from his crimes.

Malik was found to have available assets of £48,425 which must be paid within six months, or he faces an extra 12 months in prison.

He will owe the remaining £107,361 for the rest of his life, which means if he obtains future financial assets these could be seized from him as part of the confiscation.

The confiscation order is a power available to police enabling them to seize any assets which are believed to have been acquired through crime.

If the owners of the assets can prove that they have been earned legitimately, they are returned to them, but if not officers can make an application to the courts to confiscate them.

Cash confiscated by the proceeds of crime team which investigated the case is used to fund community projects or further financial investigations.

Detective Sergeant Tom Walsh 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 and ensure their crimes do not pay.”