News
A man with a multimillion pound property empire has been convicted for supplying medicines and money laundering as a result of proactive investigation by Met officers.
Richard Baxter, 50 (20.07.1974), of no fastened abode, pleaded guilty to the next offences at Kingston Crown Courtroom on Friday, 18 October:
- Conspiracy to plan Heroin
- Conspiracy to plan Cocaine
- Conspiracy to transfer prison property – money
The conviction demonstrates the Met’s proactive work in tackling the crimes that topic most to London residents. The general public many times account for officers about their issues of drug dealing within native communities, and the plan in which it’ll train violence and anti-social behaviour into the neighbourhood. Right here is why the Met is working more sturdy than ever to tackle these crimes.
In August 2024, Spanish police arrested Baxter in Valencia and he was extradited relieve to the UK to be remanded in custody.
As part of their investigation, specialist officers investigating prison gangs working in London learned that Baxter was one of the most necessary figures of a neighborhood smuggling heaps of of kilos of cocaine and heroin, earlier than laundering money by plan of varied companies.
As part of their investigation, officers learned Baxter owned a home in Surrey, with a property empire across the south-east of England. All four properties and a vacation chalet with a full approximate worth of £1.5m of properties were seized as part of the investigation.
Detective Constable David Backyard, who led the investigation, acknowledged: “We now accumulate zero-tolerance for anyone who engages in prison activities and are committed to fight the sale of harmful and illegal medicines which pose a probability to the general public.
“The Met are deploying specialist resources to tackle drug criminal activity and plan the capital a safer put to stay.
“Baxter’s conviction sends out a sturdy message to those that spy to profit from illegal drug trade – it’s good to per chance presumably perhaps be held to blame in your actions in front of the court docket.”
Met officers are working alongside communities to crack down on those that provide medicines in London. As part of the Met’s force to tackle components that topic most to communities by plan of our A Original Met for London conception, officers are specializing in neighborhood crime combating, acting on residents’ issues, making London safer for those that stay, work and raise a family in the capital.
The provision of medicines has devastating consequences on communities across London and previous – it causes dependancy, having devastating health impacts, as well to main to anti-social behaviour and violence.
With the relieve of native communities sharing details, Met officers are acting snappy to pursue those that spy to trigger bother by supplying medicines.
In expose for you to narrative a medicines crime, name 999 in an emergency, 101 or narrative online. Alternatively, this could per chance also be reported to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Baxter has been remanded for sentencing at Kingston Crown Courtroom on Thursday, 5 December.
