A convicted drug dealer has been stripped of assets including approximately £2,000 in cryptocurrency following a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing. James Bury, 39, from Westhoughton in Bolton, was jailed for 10 years and six months in June last year after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and possession with intent to supply controlled drugs.
Confiscation order details
The court identified £49,133 in available assets, which it ordered to be confiscated. This included approximately £2,000 in cryptocurrency recovered by investigators from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU). The court determined that Bury benefited from his criminality by £665,130.
Detectives from NWROCU welcomed the outcome. Detective Constable Darren Gibson said: "Confiscation proceedings are an important part of our work to disrupt organised crime. Criminals are motivated by profit, and we are committed not only to securing convictions but also to recovering the money and assets gained through illegal activity."
How the drugs were supplied
Bury posted drug deliveries through the mail and was caught after a number of parcels were intercepted in Northern Ireland. Police said Bury 'believed he could exploit the postal system to courier drugs across the UK'. Four parcels containing more than 2kg of cocaine were seized by Border Force authorities in Northern Ireland.
The investigation began in October 2024 when officers from NWROCU's Taskforce Team identified the supply of controlled drugs through the UK postal network. Bury was linked to the four parcels intercepted by Border Force officers in Northern Ireland.
Impact of the ruling
Gibson added: "The court found that Bury had benefited significantly from his offending, and the outcome demonstrates that crime does not pay. We will continue to use all available powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to target offenders and remove the financial gains they have made through criminality."
