Drug trafficker forced to sell home and hand over the cash

Drug trafficker: Khandhakar Thaj Uddin was jailed for heroin and cannabis importation
National Crime Agency
Hannah Al-Othman28 July 2016
WEST END FINAL

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A convicted drug trafficker has been ordered to sell his house and hand over the cash, or face an extension to his prison term.

Khandhakar Thaj Uddin, 42, from Ilford was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2009 for importing heroin and cannabis importation over a five year period between 2003 and 2008.

In 2010, a court ruled that Uddin had made £739,000 from his criminality, with sales of Uddin’s assets generating more than £306,000, which was confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

At the time, Uddin claimed a property in Manor Park was owned and occupied by his father, but in later family court proceedings Uddin was declared the sole owner after his father relinquished his claim.

As a result, the National Crime Agency and CPS applied to increase the confiscation order, and on Monday a judge at Winchester Crown Court gave Uddin three months to sell the house and hand over £220,000 – the amount of equity estimated to be in the property after the mortgage is cleared.

The money will be given to the National Crime Agency, and if Uddin fails to pay up he will be sentenced to a further five years in prison and will still owe the money at the end of it.

Phil Aiken, from the NCA’s Economic Crime Command, said: “The NCA’s work doesn’t stop when a criminal is put behind bars.

"We are determined to use the full force of legislation at our disposal and prevent criminals benefiting financially from their crimes.”

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