A court in Liverpool has ordered two dark web drug dealers to pay the government more than £119,000.
The duo, Anthony Reid and Zadia Salam were a couple living in Liverpool, the couple purchased and sold large quantities of drugs on the dark web. The government has ruled that they must pay back £119,000 of the money earned through distributing drugs through the dark web.
The couple operated from Liverpool, they were sentenced to a total of 15 years and six months in prison. The couple were sentenced for conspiring to import and distribute Class A drugs. Court documents show that the couple purchased large quantities of drugs on the dark web to resell.
The prosecutor, Andrew Ford, told Liverpool Crown Court:
Reid used the internet, specifically the dark web to trade drugs of Class A and Class B. These were paid for in the crypto currency, bitcoin and there were two email addresses which could be used to trade in the currency. His supply network allowed for an expansive and nationwide trade in these substances. He stood at the heart of the importations
Investigation into the couple started after Border Force officers intercepted a suspicious package that was shipped from Belgium and addressed to Reid. In the package the officers found a kilogram of methamphetamine.
After the seizure, made by the Border Force Officers, Officers from the North West Regional Crime Unit executed a search warrant on Reid’s residence. They seized quantities of methamphetamine and computers. After the search, officers arrested Reid and Salami.
Sentence by Liverpool crown Court
The Liverpool Crown court sentenced Reid to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to Import and conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs in December 2019. Salami was sentenced to three years and six months in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
The North West Regional Organised Crime Unit launched an investigation into their finances after the seizure.
The Liverpool Crown Court and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit disclosed that the couple had earned more than £600,000 through their dark web drug trafficking operation.
Reid was ordered to pay back £113,900. Reid was also ordered to pay the money within three months or he would have 15 more months added to his sentence.