A CONVICTED drug dealer from Yate has been ordered to pay £3,500 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

James Broad, of Cabot Close, had a confiscation order made against him at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, July 12.

It follows lengthy court proceedings against the 34-year-old which started in October 2010 when he was convicted of possession with intent to supply anabolic steroids. On July 7 in 2011 he was sentenced to 100 hours unpaid work and later that year, on October 27, a confiscation order hearing identified criminal benefit of £92,965. At a further hearing on February 28 last year the court ordered Broad to pay £33,110.17 which he had available.

In December 2012, Broad was further convicted of money laundering, converting or transferring criminal property or removing criminal property from England and Wales, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He sent £236,881 to China and Thailand to purchase further anabolic steroids and on January 23 this year he was jailed for 12 months.

On Friday, a confiscation order for £298,985, which includes an outstanding amount of £59,854, was made. The available amount of £3,500 was ordered to be paid immediately and Broad was given six months to pay the remaining money.

Dr Kirstie Cogram, head of the force's financial investigation unit, said: "We hope this reinforces previous messages that crime does not pay and that we will pursue those who think they have benefited from illegal activity.

"Compensation for victims remains the main drive of the financial investigators, reinforced by the desire to tackle crime at all levels," Investigators will seek to claw back the remaining amount.