UK Drug Dealer Looses Criminal Overseas Assets After Luxembourg Court Order

British national Amir Azam, convicted of drug-related offenses, has had $500,000 of his overseas assets seized, following a landmark ruling by a Luxembourg District Court, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) said Thursday.

MOSCOW, April 30 (Sputnik) — The judgment is historic since it prevents UK criminals, who have traditionally tried to evade law enforcement's reach by redirecting their funds abroad, from doing so in Luxembourg.

"This decision is a significant step forward for the NCA, and for all UK law enforcement, in the fight to recover the millions of pounds worth of criminal assets hidden abroad," Stephanie Jeavons, Deputy Director of the NCA's Economic Crime Command, was quoted as saying on the agency's website.

Following the court's ruling, all criminal assets held by Azam in Luxembourg could potentially be confiscated by the NCA, subject to civil proceedings.

Azam and four other men were detained in 2006 when Belgian police found 2,500 kilograms (5511.5 lbs) of cannabis hidden in a port container. Azam is believed to be linked to the Pakistan drug lord Shahbaz Khan.

The gang's UK assets, derived from organized crime, have already been seized and this ruling by the court in Luxembourg means that Azam has now lost assets totaling over 3.3 million British pounds ($5.06 million).