INTERNATIONAL - A convicted killer, who raked in £8000 (R144011) from dealing drugs while in a UK prison, has had his assets seized.
Robert Field, 31, is the first inmate to be targeted by investigators cracking down on drug dealers and gang members operating behind bars.
He had almost £8000 in a bank account, despite being sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2009 for the murder of a pawnbroker.
While Field served his sentence at HMP Gartree near Leicester, money was repeatedly paid into his bank account. It is believed he operated a drug-dealing business from his cell.
It is the first bust by the Financial Investigations Unit, a team tasked with freezing and seizing the assets of criminals operating in prisons. The team, made up of specially-trained prison service analysts and police financial investigators, is part of a £70million investment to ensure safety and security in Britain’s jails. Justice Secretary David Gauke said: “This unit is an important part of our strategy to tackle organised crime and restore stability to prisons so offenders have the chance to turn their lives around.”