Southfields Drug dealer 'loses his freedom and his headwear'

Police confiscate thousands of pounds of property from a drug dealer

Twenty year old Musa Mohammed, of Keevil Drive, Southfield, SW19 pleaded guilty to four counts of possession with intent to supply Class A substances (heroin and cocaine) and one count under POCA legislation and on Friday 23 May he was sentenced to four years in prison.

The POCA legislation allowed for the forfeiture of the hats and trainers, two 42 inch plasma screen televisions, games consoles and two pedal bikes worth approximately £2,500.

The conviction and confiscation followed an investigation by Wandsworth's Pro-Active Crime Squad. They had originally seized personal items from Mohammed in May 2007, but had no evidence to support a prosecution for drug's offences. Therefore officers pursued a civil action under POCA.

However, in January 2008 he traveling as a passenger in a Fiat Punto on the A3 heading towards Surrey. A search of him revealed a large number of individual heroin and cocaine wraps hidden in his trouser leg.

A warrant was subsequently executed at his home address and inside officers found a large amount of Class A substances and items associated with drug dealing, such as cling film and scales. Money totaling £1,200 was also seized.  Despite having had most of his possessions confiscated only two months before Mohammed's flat had been completely re-furnished and he had bought a new plasma screen.

A total of 60 heroin wraps and 64 cocaine wraps were recovered from the car.
The total street value of the drugs seized was £21,000.

Detective Inspector Matt Phelps, from Wandsworth Police, said:
"This is an excellent result for the team and the people of Wandsworth. We have removed a person whose criminality caused a significant level of harm to the local community, and the officers involved demonstrated the flexibility to use legislation in different ways to hurt criminals.

"Through his criminality Musa Mohammed created a lifestyle that may have proved attractive to some. However, we have not only secured a prison sentence, but the trappings of his lifestyle. When we seized his belongings he readily accepted the money as the proceeds of crime, but pleaded that his trainers and hats were not.

"Hopefully the further use of the POCA legislation, which does not require a criminal conviction to legally seize belongs and money, will provide a further deterrent to those considering entering a lifestyle funded by criminality. This money made from auctioning these items will go back to Wandsworth Borough and fund further activity to clamp down on criminals."

May 30, 2008