A drug dealer from Chatteris has been ordered to pay back more than £1,000 or face 28 days in jail - with the debt still owed.

Halil Akyuz was given a community order for possession with intent supply a Class B drug in April 2018 after he had previously been found in possession of cannabis and a quantity of cash.

As part of the sentence, the 22-year-old was ordered to repay his known gains from the crime, with a confiscation order identifying his benefit as £1,260.

After considering his available assets, an order was granted for £530, with the terms of the order meaning Akyuz would have to pay back the outstanding amount should any further assets be identified in the future.

In April 2020 ERSOU’s Asset Confiscation Enforcement (ACE) team identified Akyuz had sufficient funds to meet the disparity in his confiscation order and began an investigation.

The outstanding sum of £730 was restrained and, on October 4, the original order of £1,260 was enforced.

Akyuz will now be required to pay the full order, or face 28 days’ imprisonment, while still owing the debt.

Nick Bentley, financial investigation manager at ERSOU’s ACE Team, said: “Our team is focused on ensuring that criminals, and particularly those who contribute to the misery of drug crime, in no way benefit from the harm they are bringing to our communities.

“It’s absolutely vital that we continue to target all criminals who have gained from their illicit actions, and our dedicated teams are relentless in pursuing all those who attempt to act above the law.

“It’s important to note that, should Akyuz fail to pay the outstanding amount, he’ll face a jail term and will still be required to pay the outstanding amount.”