by Vanessa Baffoe

A man from Kent has been ordered to pay back nearly £60,000 after being convicted of drug offences.

Alfred Brazil, 40, from Cranbrook was ordered by Maidstone Crown Court to pay back the sum of £57,379.77 after a confiscation hearing.

The hearing was set up by Kent Police Serious Economic Crime unit (SECU) who obtained a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act to allow the recovery of cash and assets gained by criminal activity.

Brazil received a three-year community order from the Court on April 17, 2009, after being arrested by officers at an address in Frittenden, near Headcorn. He was arrested after police carried out a warrant at the address and was spotted trying to dispose of the contents of a holdall containing several kilograms of herbal cannabis.

The address was searched following the recovery of three kilograms of herbal cannabis from the car of Austin Deville, on April 10, 2009. Up to £70,000 in cash, ammunition, a stolen caravan, along with several other vehicles were seized for further examination.

A 17-year-old who was found at the address in Frittenden trying to dispose of the holdall with Brazil was slapped with a two-year community order. Fellow drug dealer 35-year-old Deville from Berkshire received 18 months and has to pay back £31,475.77.

"We want to send a clear message to criminals that crime does not pay and we will actively pursue those who seek to enrich their lives through crime and at the expense of their victims," said Detective Inspector Mark Fairhurst from Kent Police’s Serious Economic Crime Unit.

"Our financial investigators have already secured £57,951.55 in cash from the pair who will now need to sell off their remaining assets to meet the July 2010 confiscation order deadline, or serve a further 18 months in prison."