Cardiff drug dealer who used cash-counting machine to track profits ordered to pay thousands

A drug dealer who needed a money counter to keep track of his profits has been ordered to pay back more than £10,000.

Tyler Nicholson, 24, was not at home when police raided the home he shared with his mother in Ely.

Officers from South Wales Police seized more than 180g of cocaine, a kitchen knife containing traces of cocaine, two laptops, two mobile phones and an iPad amongst other items.

Two sets of digital scales, a money-counting machine and more than £8,000 in cash were also found at his Cardiff address in October last year.

The defendant called his mother during the raid and spoke to police, but would not tell them where he was.

He was arrested later that month after handing himself in at Cardiff Bay police station.

The drugs found in Nicholson's possession were estimated to have a street value between £4,885 and £12,100, according to a drug expert.

Texts found on the defendant's phone indicated he was supplying the drugs for "significant financial gain" to end customers - those intending to consume rather than re-sell the substances - and was running his own enterprise.

Nicholson, of Spinney Close, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, possession of criminal property, possession of Class B drugs, and possession of an offensive weapon.

He was sentenced to four years and one month in prison in total.

Nicholson was found to have made £14,921 from drug dealing at a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday.

A judge ordered him to pay £10,302 - the total of his available assets - within 28 days.

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