Ilford drug dealer warned he must sell house to repay £220,000

A convicted drug dealer from Ilford has been warned that he must sell his home and hand over the cash, or face an extra five years being added to his sentence.

Khandhakar Thaj Uddin, 42, from Ilford, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2009 for importing heroin and cannabis between 2003 and 2008.

In 2010, a court ruled that Uddin had profited by more than £730,000 from his criminal past, and a sale of his assets raised £306,000, which was confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

At the time, Uddin claimed a property in Manor Park was owned and occupied by his father, but the court decided that he was the sole owner after his father withdrew his claim.

Now the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Criminal Prosecution Service (CPS) have successfully sought a confiscation order demanding Uddin sell the house and hand over the profits.

If he fails to do, in the next three months, then he will be sentenced to a further five years in prison and will still owe the money at the end of it.

Phil Aiken, from the NCA’s economic crime command, said:

“The NCA’s work doesn’t stop when a criminal is put behind bars. We are determined to use the full force of legislation at our disposal and prevent criminals benefiting financially.”