Leon Cullen must pay back £22k from drug empire profits

Drugs and firearms gang boss Leon Cullen was jailed for 22-and-a-half years last May.

Cullen, previously of Honister Avenue in Orford, was the town’s most wanted man before his capture in Dubai in 2020.

But the 33-year-old was detained on an international arrest warrant in Dubai on 3 January 2020 after evading police over a two-year period by using a false passport.

The case of Cullen appeared before Liverpool Crown Court today, Monday, in his absence for a proceeds of crime act hearing (POCA).

Here, prosecutor Frances Willmott said that Cullen’s benefitted to the tune of £391,841.12.

Leon Cullen

He made the enormous sum from supplying firearms, ammunition and cocaine between June 1, 2016, and January 11, 2018.

Ms Willmott told the court that the police currently hold some of Cullen’s possessions, including a watch and cash, with a total value of £22,830.38 - which is the only amount he will have to pay back ruled judge Garrett Bryne.

At the same hearing, Cullen was also handed a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO).

The order means he will be robustly monitored when he leaves prison after serving his 22 years and six-month sentence.

The SCPO bans Cullen from associating with the men who were part of his organised crime group.

He must inform Cheshire Constabulary of any vehicles and communication devices he owns or uses and must tell the police where he is living and working and of any bank accounts he uses.

The SCPO, which will be imposed for five years from his prison release date, also restricts him to only owning two computers and two mobile phones at any time.

Cullen was convicted as part of Operation Samurai, a covert investigation into a business that centred on supplying firearms, ammunition and cocaine to organised crime groups across the north west.

Cullen's Rolex

Leon would operate using violence in order to intimidate and exert control towards those he believed had crossed him as well as to enforce debts.

In July 2017 Leon turned his attention to the supply of firearms and became in direct contact with an associate in Liverpool to transfer handguns and ammunition.

 He had ultimate control and direction of a functioning AK-series rifle, a pump-action shotgun, automatic pistols and revolvers as well as a silencer that was fitted to one of the automatic handguns complete with ammunition.

At least one of the firearms – a self-loading pistol – had been used in a shooting at a house on Rose Avenue in Liverpool on August 20, 2015. A round was fired into the living room while the occupant was inside.

His organised crime group consisting of 20 men including his brother were jailed for a total of 185 years in January 2019. Anthony was given a 27-year sentence.

Detective inspector Rob Balfour, from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “The criminal activity run by the Cullen’s has earned them, and others at the top end of the organised crime group, a considerable amount of money from which they have lived a lavish lifestyle for a short time.

“We will keep utilising this legislation so not only do criminals have to complete lengthy sentences, their earned assets are removed and their lives post sentence are effected by further financial restrictions until they have literally paid their debt to society.

“I think the public expect us to recover ill-gotten gains and rightly so. They don’t want to see drug dealers profiting from their criminality and it is only right that we recover what we can.

“It’s important to highlight the powers of the Proceeds of Crime Act and SCPOs to help deter and prevent criminals from returning to organised crime but also to young men who look up to and are influenced by people like Leon.”