A MAN has been stripped of almost £32,000 after police found the money at his Skelmersdale home.
Paul Burton, 39, of Egerton, was arrested on January 31 after officers found £31,912 while searching his home.
At first, Burton said the cash was from importing tobacco from the Continent and from his building firm, but failed to provide any documentation to support this claim.
He was later charged with possession of Class B drugs and received an adult caution.
It is believed the money was linked to criminal conduct and on Friday the police were allowed to seize the cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA) 2002.
A Lancashire police spokesman said: “By targeting the profits of crime, we send a clear message that crime most certainly does not pay.”
Half of the money forfeited will be returned directly to Lancashire Constabulary and ploughed back into policing. The rest will go to the government.
