Two convicted drug dealers have had more than £1 million in assets confiscated following an investigation into their drug-dealing activities. Simon Renoldi and Iain Green were caught using the encrypted communications platform EncroChat to coordinate the supply of large quantities of drugs across Essex in 2020 and 2021.
Following an extensive financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), assets worth £1,039,748.08 have been confiscated from the pair. Renoldi, 55, had £430,330.41 confiscated, while £609,417.67 was taken from Green, 56.
Investigation and arrests
After a lengthy investigation led by specialist officers within the Serious Organised Crime Unit, Renoldi was arrested in June 2021 and Green arrested a month later. Officers found almost £75,000 in cash alone across multiple warrants connected to the pair, as well as evidence of hundreds of thousands of pounds more in drug dealing transactions.
In 2025 Renoldi, formerly of High Road, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for two counts of conspiracy to commit cocaine, conspiracy to supply ecstasy and two counts of conspiracy to supply a Class B drug. Green, formerly of Roland Park Avenue in Westcliff, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply ecstasy, and conspiracy to supply a Class B drug (cannabis).
Use of confiscated funds
Essex Police say the recovered funds will be distributed among His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Home Office and Essex Police. A share will also support charitable causes through the Essex Community Foundation. The force added that the money will help fund efforts to tackle crime and improve community safety across Essex.
Financial Investigator Mark Finbow of the Proceeds of Crime Team said: "It's crucial that crime doesn't pay. It's why we work so hard and well after criminals are sentenced to make sure they get no benefit from their ill-gotten gains and deprive them of anything we can prove was the result of criminality."
"In this case we seized cash and highly-valuable assets connected to the suspects, and painstaking work through collected evidence and financial records showed this could only have come from drug dealing. This is a million pounds out of the hands of offenders which will make its way to agencies and projects that help people in our county, or even into work to help us stop more criminals," he added.
