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More on KentOnline
Two brothers who ran a massive drugs and money laundering empire have been ordered to hand over more than £2.3 million from their ill-gotten gains.
Jamie and Cavan Hanna were each jailed for 14 years in June 2009 after 83 kilos of amphetamine worth over £800,000, 15,200 ecstasy tablets worth £60,000 and £5 million in cash were seized.
Now, Jamie Hanna, of Wrotham Road, Meopham, will have to pay a further £1,402,332 and Cavan Hanna, of West Hill Drive, Dartford, £915,446, both within six months.
Judge Philip Statman said at Maidstone Crown Court that Jamie Hanna, 42, would have to serve four-and-a-half years and Cavan Hanna, 43, three years on top of their sentences in default.
The brothers, who admitted conspiracy to supply drugs and money laundering, had been successful businessmen before they descended into crime out of “sheer greed”.
At the centre of their lucrative empire was a flat at Alderman House in Greenhithe, where the vast sums of money were “processed”. When police raided it cash totalling £1,136,000 was being counted.
The main cash store was at Stonechat Mews in Stone, while drugs were stored in Plumstead, south east London.
Timothy Cray, prosecuting, said the £5 million seized had been professionally packaged into £50 and £20 notes in vacuum sealed containers and hidden away in safes.
Passing sentence on the Hannas and “employees”, Judge Statman it was big business with enough money “to make the jaws of the average citizen drop”.
The judge said at the confiscation hearing yesterday that it was in many ways an exceptional case because of the level of enquiry that had to be made.
Simon Baker, defending, said there had been a high level of cooperation by the brothers.
“After all these years I think the situation is we have now come to a conclusion" - Judge Philip Statman
“They have always said they were in the enterprise together and the assets were jointly held,” he said.
“The order will realise more for the taxpayer than it would have in a series of contested hearings.”
Judge Statman added: “After all these years I think the situation is we have now come to a conclusion.
"The case has been approached with a degree of realism. If it was fought, we would have been here for weeks.”
