Newcastle heroin dealer has £10,000 of cash seized

A heroin dealer who is thought to have made almost £40,000 from selling drugs has had £10,000 of it seized.

Neil Coates was jailed for six years last October for his role in supplying heroin after he was caught - alongside an accomplice - with Class A drugs valued at £28,000.

He was initially arrested in the Midlands after officers found him asleep in his car while in possession of a knife, a baton and heroin worth £10,000.

The arrest triggered a search of his home address in Elswick where officers from Northumbria Police recovered another half a kilo of heroin.

His house was revisited several days later after a report of a burglary in which officers recovered another quantity of Class A drugs.

Coates, of Kingsley Terrace was found guilty of possessing heroin with intent to supply following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

He had previously admitted possession of the knife and baton.

The 51-year-old was jailed for a total of six-and-a-half years but, last week he was back at the same court for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

It was agreed Coates had earned more than £37,700 from his drug dealing and when his assets were examined, he was found to have a total of £10,709 in cash which was seized.

The remaining sum will be revisited in the future, with earnings or any lump sums he may receive taken into consideration.

Financial Investigator, Stuart Watts said: “While it is important that criminals who supply drugs and commit serious offences which impact our communities are sentenced appropriately, it is also equally important that any assets their offending has afforded them are seized.

“Our message is clear – crime does not pay and our criminal justice partners fully support this stance.

“Our work will continue under Operation Sentinel, ensuring that those involved in drug supply are identified and convicted, their assets seized and their illicit organisations dismantled. That’s the way we tackle this type of criminality – by stripping assets."

He continued: “Coates has lost £10,000 of ill-gotten gains and it is only right that money benefits the communities most affected by crime.

“As always the money seized will be invested into our ongoing fight against serious and organised crime – with a number of organisations and charities benefitting from it.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...