THE mother of a man who was operating a major drugs operation worth £40,000 from a Worcester flat has had more than £4,000 taken from her after cash was found at her home.

Daniel Henry, aged 24, of Glenworth Gardens in Wolverhampton, was sentenced last month to nine years in prison for conspiracy to supply crack cocaine by Worcester Crown Court.

Along with three others Henry he had used runners from a Wyld’s Lane flat to sell drugs to users in Worcester, Malvern and Hereford and would only visit the city to deliver shipments. But the gang was caught after an undercover officer known only as ‘Danny’ infiltrated the group.

Yesterday at Worcester Magistrates’ Court District Judge Chinery forfeited £4,235 in cash seized from his home address during a warrant in February, all but £160 of which had been found in his bedroom, mostly under his wardrobe along with a stash of drugs.

The remaining £160 was found in the bedroom of his brother Keith, who is due to be sentenced today at Wolverhampton Crown Court for separate drugs offences.

Speaking at court yesterday his mother Jerlene Campell said the cash was hers and had come from legitimate savings and an insurance payout she had received in 2011.

She said she had given it to her son – who had even boated about his dealer lifestyle in a rap song – a few weeks before the warrant was carried out to hold on to so she could pay for house repairs.

However, financial investigator with West Mercia Police’s economic crime unit Pat Kelly said Mrs Campbell had not provided any evidence to back up her claims.

“In addition, under cross examination she admitted that at the time the cash had been seized she was not paying in full her monthly bills such as her mortgage and council tax,” he said.

“The district judge clearly did not believe this and found that, on the balance of probabilities, the cash derived from the drug dealing activities of her sons.”

She was also ordered to pay £3,818 in costs and has 30 days in which to lodge an appeal to the before the £4,235 is paid to the Home Office. Half of this will be transferred back to West Mercia Police.

Henry’s group were prosecuted as part of Operation Dorado, West Mercia Police’s ongoing operation to tackle drug dealing in Worcester.

Mr Kelly added the prosecution demonstrated police would use all legislation available to them to stamp out drug crime.

“There are many ways we can hit drug dealers,” he said. “Not only will criminals be prosecuted and imprisoned and drugs seized, we will pursue confiscations from those who benefit from crime and seize cash sums.

“In some cases such as this, respondents can also face hefty court costs. Crime really doesn't pay.”