Harrogate landlady told to pay back more than £140,000 after renting to drug gang

Yoko Banks was jailed in August 2021 after a cannabis factory was found in Harrogate

Yoko Banks
Author: Liam ArrowsmithPublished 9th Jan 2023

A landlady from Harrogate has been told to pay back more than £140,000 after renting a property to a gang of drug dealers.

Yoko Banks was jailed for three-and-a-half years in August 2021 after a cannabis factory was found in a building she rented out.

The 74-year-old has now been told to pay back £142,333- the money she had made from the criminal activity.

Ms. Banks has been told to return the money within three months or face a further 12 months in prison.

Detective Inspector Janine Mitchell head of Financial Investigation at North Yorkshire Police, said: “The Proceeds of Crime Act allows us to deprive criminals of their illegal income. We will take every opportunity to use the legislation to its capacity to ensure no-one benefits from crime.

“In this case Banks had knowingly rented out high-end Harrogate properties to the organised crime gang in return for thousands of pounds in rental income.

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