Bertie Payne was convicted of leading a seven-person operation that supplied 24 kilograms of cocaine, 10 kilograms of ketamine, and 5,000 ecstasy tablets from August 2024 to January 2025.
As part of the investigation, the police examined Payne’s phone and searched his premises, leading to five additional convictions, with sentences ranging from two years and eight months to six years.
At Maidstone Crown Court on 12 March, detective constable Martin Lacey stated that Payne used a legitimate business to launder money and recruited others to distribute drugs, distancing himself from direct involvement.
“Payne thought his operation was sophisticated and that he wouldn’t get found out, but his sentencing shows that crime doesn’t pay and that if you are involved in criminality, you will be caught and you will face the consequences,” he said.
Police seized 38 watches, mostly Rolex models. The watches will be managed under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which allows seizure of assets linked to crime.
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