Drug dealer forced to repay £173,000 made during 'life of crime'

A criminal serving time for drug dealing made more than £280,000 from his life of crime, a court has heard.

Mohammed Asif, 52, was given a six year term at the High Court in Glasgow last year for his role in a £340,000 narcotics and dirty money operation.

The court heard how he was seen during a handover with his co-accused Rigels Ugurlu in a car park in his hometown of Kirkcaldy, Fife, in 2022.

Asif was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow after – along with Ugurlu – pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis between February 1 and 7, 2022.

Asif separately admitted a charge of possessing criminal property.

His 40-year-old co-accused was jailed for two years and eight months.

On Monday, prosecutors took Asif to the High Court in Edinburgh under proceeds of crime legislation.

Lawyers for Asif and the Crown came to an agreement to bring the matter to an end.

They agreed that Asif made a total of £283,530 from his life of crime. However, only £173,530 of that could be recovered and seized at this point in time.

During earlier proceedings, the court heard how police received a tip-off which led them to a car park near a row of shops on February 7, 2022.

Asif and Ugurlu were spotted leaving their vehicles and speaking.

Ugurlu removed bags from his van and placed them in the boot of Asif’s Audi.

Police detained both men and each were found with numerous mobile phones.

Ugurlu had £710 in cash and his van contained £72,700, hidden under the passenger seat.

Officers recovered two large laundry bags of cannabis from the boot of Asif’s Audi, each weighing one kilo.

Asif’s property was raided and a total of £10,830 was found, as well as four further packages of cannabis from the garage.

A friend also had her property searched and told officers Asif asked her to keep a safe at her home to store money from a construction industry business.

The woman stated she was given keys but ordered not to look inside the safe.

Nine bundles of cash totalling £90,000 were found inside.

The hearing was told the cannabis recovered from the Audi and Asif’s garage had the potential resale value of £239,960.

The total cash recovered attributed to Asif was £100,830.

It was revealed Asif has previously been sentenced to a total of 15 years behind bars for two separate drugs offences.

On Monday, judge Lord Fairley passed an order authorising the court to recover the £173,530. Prosecutors can return to court if they manage to identify further criminal assets which belong to Asif.