Norwich drug dealer ordered to pay back £77,000 of profit
Norfolk Police say they want to make sure 'crime doesn't pay'
A Norwich man who was jailed for drug offences has been ordered to pay back more than £77,000.
56-year-old Gary Bowgen is serving a two year prison sentence for possession with intent to supply a class A drug and possession of criminal property.
Norwich Crown Court has now told him he'll have to pay back £77,064.88 or face spending more time in prison.
The figure is the value of all his current known assets including seven motorcycles.
Bowgen was arrested after officers searched his home in Dalrymple Way, Norwich, in August 2020, and discovered him sat on the sofa holding £1,000 in cash.
They also discovered cocaine with an estimated street value of over £11,000.
He admitted the charges and appeared before Norwich Crown Court for sentencing on 14 June 2024.
“We’ll continue to use POCA legislation to ensure that crime doesn’t pay”
Following his conviction, the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) launched a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) investigation and a confiscation order was granted against Bowgen to recover his criminal proceeds.
Financial Investigation Manager Tim Underhill, from ERSOU, said: “Our teams work closely with police forces across the region to ensure that convicted criminals are ordered to repay the money they have made through illicit means.
“Enquiries clearly showed that Bowgen had made significant sums through drug dealing and it was important that, in addition to his prison sentence, he was made to hand back his illicit gains.
“We’ll continue to use POCA legislation to ensure that crime doesn’t pay.”