Convicted drug dealer ordered to pay back more than £80K

A convicted drug dealer has been ordered to pay back more than £80K following an investigation into his finances

John Kear, from Sandfields, Port Talbot, was sentenced to a jail sentence of seven years and two months in March this year, after he was found with more than four kilos of cocaine stashed at a self-storage unit in Baglan.

During the sentencing hearing, the court was told that Mr Kear was “pressured” into storing the drugs for other criminals and was paid for doing so.

South Wales Police’s financial investigators told a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing this week that the 57-year-old had benefitted from his criminal actions by more than £621K and had available assets totalling £82,528.

Confiscation order

The judge at this week’s hearing at Swansea Crown Court issued a confiscation order for the £82,528.

Welcoming the outcome, investigators, from the Force Intelligence Economic and Cybercrime Unit, said: “Organised crime and large-scale drug supply causes misery within our communities, with some of society’s most vulnerable often being exploited by ruthless criminals who are only concerned with making large quantities of cash and funding lavish lifestyles.

“I hope this outcome sends a stark warning to others who are engaged in such criminality; not only will our officers work tirelessly to identify those responsible and bring them before the courts to remove them from our streets, we will then also use all means available to us to ensure assets gained as the result of criminality are removed from their possession.”

Under the requirements of the order, Mr Kear will have three months to repay the sum outlined by the courts. Failure to do so could result in an additional one-year jail term.

Proceeds from assets seized under the POCA are divided between the HM Treasury, court service, South Wales Police, and the Crown Prosecution Service.