Glasgow drug trafficker forced to hand over £161k in crime profits
A Glasgow drug trafficker who was jailed for 12 years for his role in a major cocaine supply operation was told today that the amount of cash to be seized from him under proceeds of crime legislation is to more than double.
A Glasgow drug trafficker who was jailed for 12 years for his role in a major cocaine supply operation was told today that the amount of cash to be seized from him under proceeds of crime legislation is to more than double.
Sohaib Qureshi, 40, was originally ordered to pay £70,000 under a confiscation order by a court which has been handed over.
But Qureshi, formerly of Bearsden, Glasgow, walked out the High Court in Edinburgh today after hearing he will now lose a further £91,000 because the Crown brought an application to vary the original order made against him.
Further money from abroad was found in bank accounts and will now be confiscated from the drug trafficker who was given two months for payment.
Qureshi made £1.2 million from his general criminal conduct. Advocate depute Barry Divers told the court during a brief hearing that an application was being made to change the confiscation order previously made against him.
He said the new order would confiscate £161,000 from Qureshi who has already paid the £70,000 towards the figure.
Laura Reilly, counsel for Qureshi, told the judge, Lord Kinclaven, an agreement had been reached in the action after negotiations between the Crown and defence.
Qureshi previously admitted being in the supply of cocaine between June 2008 and April 2009. Detectives targeted a drugs operation sourcing high-purity cocaine from South America and put a house in the Springburn area of Glasgow under surveillance.
Qureshi was seen at the property with associates and when officers later stopped a car he was in they found scales and other items linked to the drugs trade.
A raid on the house recovered 4.5 kilos of the Class A drug, with a potential street value of £180,000, along with a further 5.5 kilos of benzocaine which can be used to bulk out the drug to generate further profit.