Drug dealer who benefited by £125,000 ordered to pay back just £42,000
Christopher Heaney, 48, was a member of an organised crime gang which was brought down by the arrest of Steven Creasey, 67, from Cardiff, who was stopped by police in Scotland
Christopher Heaney of Cunzie Street, Anstruther, Fife was convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin. He was sentenced to nine years and five months in prison.
(Image: Tarian )
A member of an organised crime gang which was exposed following the arrest of a former police officer has been ordered to pay £42,000 despite benefiting by £125,000. The gang was involved in a £7m heroin conspiracy.
Christopher Heaney, 48, was a member of the group which was brought down by the arrest of Steven Creasey, 67, from Cardiff, who was stopped by police in Scotland on May 12, 2022. He had already driven from Cardiff to Liverpool that day before making his way up to Fife.
A drugs dog discovered a professionally installed hide under the passenger seat of Creasey's car which was found to contain 5kg of heroin and one kilogram of adulterant. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter.
A burner phone in Creasey's possession led to the discovery of other OCG members who were based in Liverpool.
Tarian's subsequent investigation, named Operation Solon, found that Creasey was a Cardiff-based professional courier who had been engaged by the heads of an OCG based in Liverpool.
Christopher Brannan, 38, and Stephen Hopkins, 59, collected wholesale amounts of heroin.
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This would be distributed for onward supply across the UK by Heaney, Creasey, Kevin Thomson, 45, and Jeffrey Hickson, 61. Brannan would then launder the profits through the bank account of his partner Kirsty Murphy, 36.
Raids were carried out at properties in Cardiff, Liverpool, Scotland and Northumberland towards the end of 2022.
Significant items were found at the various addresses including expensive jewellery, heroin, cocaine, adulterants, opium, cannabis and metal moulds for pressing powder into blocks.
Christopher Heaney, of Cunzie Street, Anstruther, Fife, was convicted on February 6, 2024, for conspiracy to supply heroin.
He was sentenced to nine years and five months in prison.
Steven Creasey of Allerton Street, Grangetown, Cardiff was convicted on March 17, 2023, for conspiracy to supply heroin.
He was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison.
A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday heard Heaney benefited to the tune of £125,876 as a result of his offending, but only has assets worth £42,229.
Judge Lucy Crowther ordered the defendant to pay that sum within three months or serve an additional 18 months imprisonment in default.
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