Latest news with #ProceedsofCrimeAct
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Drug dealer found to be selling heroin and cocaine ordered to pay back £3,000
Drug dealer found to be selling heroin and cocaine ordered to pay back £3,000 Kaci Payne, 25, was found with a phone connected to a drugs line and claimed to be working under direction Kaci Payne, 25, was found to be dealing heroin and cocaine after police found him in possession of a phone connected to a drugs line (Image: South Wales Police ) A drug dealer who was found to be selling heroin and cocaine after he was found with a phone connected to a drugs line has been ordered to pay back £3,000 after benefiting by more than £18,000. He claimed to be working under direction and said he had no influence on those above him in the chain. Kaci Payne, 25, was stopped by police in Cardiff on November 20 last year in a Renault with three other men. He was found in possession of a phone which was linked to the 'J' drugs line. The defendant was discovered after he was seen on CCTV "topping up" a burner phone. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter. His home was searched and police seized a knife, £1,000 in cash, and high-value clothing. The burner phone was interrogated and a number of messages revealed he was involved in the supply of heroin and cocaine between October 4 and November 20 last year. The defendant was interviewed but answered "no comment" to questions. Article continues below Payne, of Verallo Drive, Canton, later pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. The court heard he has five previous convictions. These include offences of possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession of cannabis, possession of a bladed article, possession of an offensive weapon, and drug-driving. In mitigation the court was told there was no evidence the defendant had influence over those above him in the change and was "acting under direction". The defendant was described as having a "challenging" childhood having been introduced to cannabis at a young age and later diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Payne was sentenced to a total of 36 months imprisonment last year. Article continues below At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday, the court was told the defendant had benefited to the tune of £18,062 as a result of his offending, but only has assets worth £3,250. The Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke ordered the defendant to pay that sum within three months or serve an additional two months imprisonment in default.
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- General
- South Wales Argus
Monmouthshire taking longer to respond to noise complaints
Responses and closure rates for fly tipping, littering and dog fouling deteriorated even though there was an overall reduction in the number of incidents reported to Monmouthshire County Council in 2024/25. The number of complaints dropped from 619 in 2023/24 to 542 but the number dealt with within three working days dropped from 525, or 84.8 per cent, to just 383, or 70.7 per cent, last year. The number of cases closed within three months also fell from 440, 71.1 per cent, to 316 which was only 58.3 per cent. Principal environmental health officer Huw Owen blamed 'time constraints and ever increasing demands on the service and requests' when the annual public protection report was presented to the overview and scrutiny committee. He said the department, which includes environmental health, trading standards and licensing, deals with around 2,500 service requests a year which he said was 'about a 34 per cent increase since 2019.' Figures show the council received 370 noise complaints during 2024/25 and responded to 237 within three working days which was 64.1 per cent and that was below 74 per cent responded to within the same time period the previous year when the council dealt with 385 complaints. Fewer cases were also closed within months in 2024/25 with just 47.6 per cent done so compared to 219, or 56.9 per cent, the previous year. READ MORE: Other statutory nuisances, excluding noise complaints, also suffered from reduced performance despite a slight increase in the number of reports from 153 in 2023/24 to 158 last year. Of those 111, or 70 per cent, were responded to within three working days, down from 79.7 per cent the previous year, and 89, or 56.3 per cent, closed within three months which was also down on the 60.8 per cent the previous year. Public protection has an annual budget of £1.9 million and reported a £185,647 underspend in 2024/25 largely due to a decision not to fill the head of service post following the retirement of David Jones in September 2024, delays in appointing to vacant posts and it having generated more income than projected. In addition to the underspend the service also transferred £92,279 generated in previous years through the Proceeds of Crime Act to the council's main account to support its overall financial position. Jane Rogers, strategic director for social services who now has responsibility for public protection, said the decision not to fill the head of service post is being monitored and will be considered as part of a wider review of the authority's senior leadership team.
Leader Live
11-06-2025
- Leader Live
Money seized from criminals helps to fund project in Mold
Positive Futures Mold, which runs weekly drop-in sessions for 15 to 19-year-olds at the Daniel Owen Community Centre, received the grant through the Your Community, Your Choice fund, The fund is supported by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, North Wales Police, and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT). The fund is partly made up of money recovered from criminals through the Proceeds of Crime Act, ensuring that crime does not pay and instead benefits the community. Ellie Johnson, who runs Positive Futures Mold, said: "I was delighted to show the PCC the work we are doing here in Mold to engage young people and help reduce antisocial behaviour (ASB). "I have seen first-hand the kind of difference support and engagement can make in the lives of our young people and feel that our drop-ins can help reach young people and support them to go on to make better life choices, hopefully resulting in less police contact or potential criminal behaviour." The group was set up in September 2024 with initial funding from Mold Town Council covering room hire, insurance, and refreshments. Each session attracts around 20 young people, and the success of the programme led organisers to apply for additional funding through the public vote-based Your Community, Your Choice scheme. The grant will now be used to purchase games and sports equipment and to help fund a monthly guest speaker, with the aim of inspiring attendees. Ms Johnson said: "I believe that young people need a positive outlet and support system that works for them and this is what we feel we can offer at Positive Futures Mold. "The Daniel Owen Community Centre staff have also been excellent and very supportive in helping us to set up and have a base for the drop-in." The group provides a welcoming and inclusive space for young people, with a focus on those who feel disconnected from society and would benefit from consistent, supportive engagement. Attendees sign in and out each week and agree to a behaviour contract. Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin visited the group recently to see the impact of the funding. Mr Dunbobbin said: "Groups like Positive Futures Mold are the backbones of communities right across North Wales, giving opportunity and encouragement to the people they serve. "I was delighted to visit them and to see the work they are doing with young people in Mold. "My Police and Crime Plan for North Wales prioritises supporting communities and this group is an example of my plan and its aims in action." READ MORE: Wrexham Council rejects call to change hybrid working policy All aboard with Bluey! More than 1,000 fans meet pup at Corwen Station Ashley Rogers, chairman of PACT, said: "I am delighted PACT has been able to support Positive Futures Mold through the Your Community, Your Choice fund. "Young people are the citizens and leaders of tomorrow and anything we can do to engage with them and invest in them should be embraced. "I look forward to seeing Positive Futures Mold grow in the future and make even more of a difference for young people in the town." Since it began 12 years ago, Your Community, Your Choice has awarded nearly £660,000 to 214 projects across North Wales that aim to reduce crime and promote community safety. The scheme is designed to support the priorities set out in the Police and Crime Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan.
Wales Online
09-06-2025
- Wales Online
Gang boss who was arrested in his pants to pay back fraction of £764k gains
Gang boss who was arrested in his pants to pay back fraction of £764k gains Luke Mattan, 36, of Cardiff, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months imprisonment for conspiracy to supply class A drugs Drug dealer Luke Mattan arrested outside his home in underwear An organised crime gang leader who was arrested outside his home in his underwear has been ordered to pay back just £1,700 despite benefiting by more than £700,000. He was involved in the supply of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine. Luke Mattan, 36, of Cardiff, ran the crime group alongside his "number two" Saswall Abdullah, 27. Both men were involved in the supply of 12kg of cocaine. They were also connected with Joseph Thomas-Mullen, 49, a member of the Liverpool gang based in south Wales who would collect debt money from Mattan on behalf of an upstream supplier. In April 2020 an arrangement was made for Mattan to purchase 5kg of cocaine for £195,000 from Thomas-Mullen and the upstream supplier. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter. Mattan was also given two keyworker certificates to be used by his couriers in case they should be stopped by the police during the Covid-19 lockdown. Luke Mattan, 35, of Cardiff, was involved in the supply of 12kg of cocaine. (Image: South Wales Police ) Mattan's courier Carla Trace, 43, drove a hired Nissan Juke wearing a carers uniform to London on April 5, 2020, to pick up the 5kg of cocaine before stopping at an address in Fairwater, Cardiff, where Abdullah lived. Trace was arrested on April 23, 2020. Article continues below Luke Mattan was arrested on June 17, 2020, at his home. Footage released by South Wales Police showed the dealer in his underwear as police armed with a taser place him in handcuffs outside his front door. Thomas-Mullen was arrested on July 17, 2020 at Cardiff Airport upon returning from Malaga, and Adullah on July 22, 2020. Luke Mattan's siblings, Kirsty Mattan, 34, and Jordan Mattan, 32, were also involved in the enterprise as couriers. In April 2020, Kirsty Mattan collected £14,480 on behalf of her brother. She also acted as a courier by delivering money and a gram of cocaine to Thomas-Mullen. Drug dealer Luke Mattan, 35, was arrested outside his home in Cardiff in his underwear. (Image: South Wales Police ) Kirsty Mattan was arrested in August 2020 and denied being involved, but claimed others had access to her phone. Jordan Mattan, who acted as a "storeman" of class A drugs, was arrested on June 17, 2020. He was found to have delivered 600g of cocaine to Porth in March 2020. Luke Mattan, of Fairwater, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to 15 years and eight months imprisonment, last year. Article continues below A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard Mattan had benefited to the tune of £764,435 as a result of his offending, but only has assets worth £1,788. Judge Shomon Khan ordered the defendant to pay that sum within three months or serve an additional one month imprisonment in default.
Glasgow Times
09-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Michelle Mone makes 'millions' after selling Glasgow townhouses
The Scottish Mail on Sunday reports that Baroness Mone sold a £19m London townhouse and £6.8m Lady M Yacht last year. It comes after Glasgow-born Mone and her billionaire husband Doug Barrowman had £75m worth of assets frozen by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The couple are at the centre of a fraud probe over the firm PPE Medpro, controlled by Barrowman, that was awarded £203m worth of UK Government contracts through a 'VIP lane' during the Covid-19 pandemic. In November 2023, Mone finally admitted her involvement with PPE Medpro for the first time, after years of denying any links to the company. It then emerged Barrowman was reportedly paid at least £65m from PPE Medpro's profits, later transferring £29m into a trust for Mone and her three adult children. Several properties were frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2023. And now, Mone has reportedly sold her Glasgow homes. The Mail on Sunday reports that there is no suggestion any of the property sales breached any existing orders put in place by the NCA. One townhouse in Glasgow's plush Park Circus was bought by Barrowman's Knox business group for £1.7m in 2020. The couple have now reportedly sold this to a photographer for £2m last year. Another nearby townhouse was sold for £2.8m, allegedly to a Scottish musician, who was not named. It was bought in July 2020 for just over £1.4m. A spokesperson for the NCA confirmed an investigation is still ongoing into PPE Medpro. 'The NCA opened an investigation in May 2021 into suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement of PPE contracts by PPE Medpro,' they said. 'This ongoing investigation remains a priority for the agency. READ MORE: Scottish independence 'already begun as UK political culture diverges' 'Investigations must pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry. In serious economic crime investigations these lines of enquiry can be incredibly complex – from worldwide financial tracing exercises to the need to examine large volumes of digital material. 'In such cases it can take considerable time to ensure that a thorough, independent and objective investigation is conducted.' PPE Medpro is also being sued by the Department of Health and Social Care, amid claims that the gown supplied by the firm were not fit for use. We previously told how Mone accused the NCA of "smearing [her] as a criminal".
