Man ordered to pay back £60,000 under proceeds of crime laws
He was caught on the M8 with more than £30K hidden behind the glove box in his car
A man convicted of concealing a haul of unaccounted-for money in a van has been ordered to pay back thousands of pounds under proceeds of crime legislation.
In March 2022, Andrew Early, 38, pled guilty along with a co-accused to hiding £30,020 in the vehicle.
He received a community payback order for 12 months and was given a restriction of liberty order for nine months and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.
The cash was discovered hidden behind the van’s glove box inside polythene bags and wrapped in elastic bands following a police search of the vehicle on the M8 near Erskine in November 2015.
It was retrieved with the help of a police sniffer dog.
At a hearing at Paisley Sheriff Court on June 18, 2024, Early, of Lugton, East Ayrshire, was made subject to a confiscation order for £60,022 and his benefit from general criminal conduct was recorded to be £750,000
Confiscation proceedings were initiated following his conviction.
The Crown can apply to the court to increase the order if Early acquires any assets in the future to pay back the full amount he made from his crimes.
Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework, said: “This order shows that the Crown will not stop at prosecution.
“Even after a conviction, we will use legislation to ensure illegally gained funds are confiscated.
“These funds will be added to those already gathered from Proceeds of Crime and will be re-invested in Scottish communities through the CashBack for Communities programme.”