Drug Trafficker Mandated to Repay Nearly £2 Million

An individual has been mandated to return nearly £2 million, funds acquired through his involvement in a drug distribution scheme. Richard Batty, aged 39, residing at Church Lane, Withernwick, East Yorkshire, received a 12-year prison sentence in June 2023 for his part in the conspiracy to distribute Class A narcotics. During a confiscation hearing conducted at Hull Crown Court on November 28, it was determined that Mr. Batty had accumulated approximately £1.9 million from the illicit operations. He has received an order to repay around £375,000 utilizing his existing assets. The remaining balance of the £1.9 million will persist as a perpetual obligation. Mr. Batty’s initial apprehension occurred in August 2020, stemming from a National Crime Agency inquiry known as “Operation Venetic” – an international initiative focused on dismantling organized crime syndicates. His involvement included discussions concerning the receipt of drug consignments between April and August 2020, with a single delivery occurring in June 2020. At that specific time, 41 kilograms (90.3 pounds) of cocaine, valued at approximately £4.1 million, were introduced into the jurisdiction. Images were transmitted to Mr. Batty depicting five 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) blocks of cocaine, marked with the designer brands Prada and GVY, and offered at a price of £37,500. These items were subsequently confiscated during an interdiction on the M62, and a 10-tonne hydraulic press, utilized for compacting cocaine, was confiscated during a search conducted at his residence.