A DRUG dealer from Fishponds who is believed to have made £1.7 million supplying cocaine has been told to hand over just £1.
Anes Troudi was sentenced to 17 years in prison in 2023, after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to supply up to 50 kilos of cocaine following an investigation led by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit.
Legal moves were then made under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize the money he made from selling the drugs to his co-conspirators.
Two years after he was sentenced, 42-year-old Troudi, who lived in Midland Terrace before he was jailed, was brought back to Bristol Crown Court in November for a confiscation hearing.
It was agreed that he had benefited by £1,756,595.75 from his crimes – the value of the drugs that passed through his hands.
But the court was told Troudi had no recoverable assets, and Judge Moira Macmillan made a confiscation order for a nominal £1.
A spokesperson for SWROCU said that if Troudi is found to have assets in the future, a new application can be made to seize them.
Troudi and his associates distributed the cocaine across the South West between 2020 and 2021: their sentencing hearing was told it would have been worth up to £5m when cut and sold on the street.
Cocaine supplied by Anes Troudi and seized by police. Picture: South West ROCU
They were arrested after the encrypted messaging service they were using, EncroChat, was cracked in an international investigation. Incriminating data was passed on to police around the world.
Co-defendant Adnan Malik, 35, of St Anne’s, was jailed for nine years for conspiracy to supply six kilos of cocaine bought from Troudi. His confiscation hearing is due to take place in April.
Another defendant, 41-year-old Gary Browne, from Radstock, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years for conspiracy to supply 5kg of cocaine bought from Troudi, and is due in court this month.
SWROCU said Troudi played a leading role in the conspiracy.
‘Wholesale levels of cocaine’ sold
Investigators were able to track his crimes through his EncroChat device.
Once the police hack of EncroChat was discovered, users were alerted advised to destroy their handsets – but Troudi simply switched to another encrypted phone, which documented his involvement in supplying “commercial wholesale levels of cocaine”.
SWROCU senior investigating officer Peter Highway said: “Troudi’s benefit figure was reflective of the amount of drugs he supplied, but as he has no assets available to pay this sum, he was given a nominal confiscation order by the court of £1.
“We have a team dedicated to denying offenders access to the proceeds of their crimes – not just at the time of conviction, but throughout their lives.
“Should Troudi establish any wealth or assets when he is released from prison, we will revisit his case.”