South Yorkshire Police: Team making sure drug crime doesn't pay seizes £100k from criminals in last two weeks

Efforts to tackle serious and organised crime in South Yorkshire don’t end once justice has been secured for drug offences.

South Yorkshire Police's 'financial crime investigation unit (FCIU)' has been set up to ensure these criminals don’t continue to benefit from the life of luxury crime may have given them.

In the last couple of weeks alone, the FCIU has removed more than £100,000 worth of ill-gotten gains from the hands of criminals.

Financial Investigations Manager Laura Hough said: "Criminals involved in organised crime often see extreme financial gain, sometimes taking home hundreds of thousands of pounds. They buy expensive clothes, luxury cars and even second homes - all from profits they have gained illegally."

Following a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), a criminal is ordered to pay back a set amount of money that has been proven to be available to them. They are given a set amount of time to pay back the ordered amount and will receive a default sentencing – more time in prison - if they fail to comply.

Laura continues: "One of our recent successes was against a Sheffield drug trafficker called Archie McNeil, who had been jailed in 2022 for his part in a criminal courier service conspiracy. Our investigations showed McNeil had gained some £328,000 from his crimes.

"We found McNeil had almost £55,000 available to him at the time of his sentencing, and on Monday, October 2 he was ordered to pay back this amount."

This pay-back scheme was developed by the Home Office to incentivise law enforcement organisations to go after criminals’ assets. The money retrieved is then divided, being placed back into enforcement schemes run by the Home Office and by the force which captured the criminal.

On Friday, September 29, a number of confiscation orders were made against prolific criminals involved in drug trafficking. A total of £55,133.63 was ordered to be paid back.

Laura adds: "The money we get back goes towards the Police and Crime Commissioner’s community grant schemes, giving various worthy projects a funding boost. Different schemes this money has funded include youth sport and music groups, mentoring and peer support projects and awareness raising and education programmes around topics such as cyber-crime and violence against women and girls.

"It’s such a positive for us that this money gets reinvested in the community. As well as the community grant scheme, the money has funded roles to enhance response to economic crime and serious organised crime, further developing the teams that put these criminals behind bars."

South Yorkshire Police is asking members of the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

The force said: "Are you suspicious of someone who has an extravagant lifestyle but can’t explain where their money has come from? Could they be benefiting from criminal enterprise or the exploitation of vulnerable people? Tell us what you know."

Call 101 or go through the force's 'suspicious activity' online portal.

Crimestoppers can also be contacted on 0800 555111..

Recent results:

> A confiscation order was made against Adam Iqbal, 25, of Elanor Street, Sheffield, and Irfan Iqbal, 53, of Elanor Street, Sheffield on Friday, September 29.

Irfan Iqbal had been sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment for drugs trafficking offences in relation to the production of cannabis on June 15, 2021.

A confiscation order for £36,708.89 was made.

> Adam Iqbal had been sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment for drugs trafficking offences in relation to the production of cannabis on June 15, 2021.

A confiscation order for £544.14 was made.

> A confiscation order was made against Aqib Mahmood, 23, of Logan Road, Sheffield, on Friday, September 29.

Mahmood had been sentenced to four years imprisonment for drugs trafficking offences in relation to five counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, two accounts of possession with intent to supply class B drugs and possession of criminal property on March 7, 2023.

A Confiscation order for £14,438.40 was made.

> A confiscation order was made against Zahid Rehman, 43, of Chesterfield Road, Sheffield, on Friday, September 29.

Rehman had been sentenced to six years and six months imprisonment for drug trafficking offences in relation to five counts of supply of class A drugs on January 13, 2023.

A Confiscation order for £3,412.20 was made. 

> A confiscation order was made against Archie McNeil, 42, of Old Hay Close, Sheffield, on Monday, October 2.

McNeil was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for drugs trafficking offences in relation conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs and money laundering on August 26, 2022.

A Confiscation order for £54,892.01 was made.