A CALLINGTON man who used to own a Plymouth lap-dancing club has been ordered to sell his vintage Rolex watch and nine valuable paintings to pay back some of the £400,000 profit he made from drug dealing.
Michael Welch, 41, is serving a nine-year jail term for his leading role in smuggling a huge cargo of cannabis in a secret compartment in a converted BT van.
He also ran a cocaine dealing operation from a container in a yard at Embankment Road in Plymouth, and police found pictures on his phone of piles of cash estimated to amount to £900,000.
He was brought back to Exeter Crown Court to face a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which is intended to ensure he does not profit from his crimes.
Welch, of Boconnoc Avenue, Callington, who used to run Teazers Club on Union Street, was ordered to pay a total of £29,630 by December or serve an extra 18 months.
Exeter Crown Court heard that all his available assets are to be sold to repay as much of the £400,000 as possible, but there was uncertainty about how much some of them will raise.
He was jailed for a total of nine years and four months by Judge Stephen Wildblood in 2010 after admitting conspiracy to smuggle cannabis, possession of 90 kilograms of the drug with intent to supply and supplying cocaine.
Exeter Crown Court heard he profited by £400,000 from drug dealing but that his seizable assets were limited.
Judge Erik Salomonsen ordered him to pay £29,603 by December 7 or have 18 months added to his sentence.
Stephen Dent, for the prosecution, said Welch's only available assets had been thought to be a small amount of equity in his home and a valuable Rolex watch.
He said: "The Rolex is valued at £17,600 but unfortunately has not yet been sold. There was a search on his former father-in-law's property in April and 17 paintings were found with a value of £9,630.
"Our application is to increase the order to £29,630 to reflect this."
Piers Norsworthy, for the defence, said the Rolex was in the possession of the police and there was doubt about its valuation because they had already tried to auction it and it failed to reach its reserve.
He said the police would also undertake the sale of the paintings which may also sell for less then expected.
