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Ipswich drug dealer ordered to repay £51,000 of criminal gains

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A drug dealer must repay more than £51,000 of his criminal earnings or face additional jail time, a court has ruled. Alper Basoglu, who is currently serving a seven-year sentence, was given three months to pay the sum.

The details: The confiscation order, made at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday, 13 January, totals £51,631.79, comprising:

  • £37,321 in cryptocurrency

  • £14,310 in seized cash

Alper Basoglu, 26, has three months to pay or face an extra year in prison.

Alper Basoglu
Alper BasogluSuffolk Constabulary

Behind the scenes:

  • Basoglu's total criminal benefit was calculated at more than £200,000

  • The seizure represents only the currently accessible assets

  • Authorities can revisit the order if new assets are discovered

The background: Basoglu, formerly of St George's Street, Ipswich, is currently serving seven years for drug offences. He pleaded guilty to seven counts, including:

  • Supply of cocaine and cannabis

  • Attempting to import herbal cannabis

  • Possession of criminal property

What they're saying: "We will continue to use the POCA's asset recovery powers to work tirelessly to hit those who engage in the supply of drugs and strip them of the wealth they have derived from their illicit activities," said Andy Gould, Financial Investigator from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit.

Bottom line: The case shows how drug dealers are turning to cryptocurrency to store their illegal profits and how police are adapting their tactics to seize these digital assets. For Basoglu, there's no easy way out – either way, he'll have to pay back his criminal proceeds. The only choice is whether to do it now or face more time behind bars first.

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Farage more trusted than Starmer in East of England, latest poll finds

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Ipswich.co.uk Logomark in a circle

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We publish the stories that matter and champion everything that's good about our town – without the ads, popups or tracking

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is more trusted to represent the UK internationally than PM Keir Starmer among East of England voters, new polling reveals.

Why it matters: The findings highlight a significant decline in trust for the main party leaders in the region less than a year after the general election.

The poll, conducted by communications agency PLMR and Electoral Calculus, shows Farage ranked highest among named leaders at 19% in the East of England, ahead of Sir Keir Starmer (13%), Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch (6%) and Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey (5%).

Nigel Farage
Nigel FarageAlamy

The bigger picture: One in three voters (33%) in the region responded "none of the above" when asked which political figure they would trust most, suggesting a broader decline in overall trust in UK political leaders.

By the numbers: The same poll indicates Reform UK would become the largest party in the region if an election were held tomorrow:

  • Reform: 21 seats

  • Conservatives: 10 seats

  • Labour: 4 seats

  • Liberal Democrats: 2 seats

  • Greens: 1 seat

In contrast: Nationally, Farage and Starmer are tied at 16% among those who named a preference, highlighting a more polarised national picture, with the Reform UK leader building more trust with voters in the East of England specifically.

What they're saying: "This polling highlights a significant decline in trust for the two main party leaders among East of England voters when it comes to representing the UK on the international stage," said Tim Miller , Managing Director of PLMR Genesis , the East of England branch of PLMR.

Reform and Nigel Farage have seemingly been able to capitalise on this and it's now translating into voting intentions, with the Party set to overtake Labour and the Conservatives in the region with the largest number of seats – a seismic political shift.

Between the lines: The poll suggests Reform would make strong gains across the region, potentially taking seats from both major parties:

  • Suffolk: Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket from Labour

  • Essex: Braintree from the Conservatives and Thurrock from Labour

  • Cambridgeshire: North East from the Conservatives and North West from Labour

  • Norfolk: North West from the Conservatives and South West from Labour

Tim Miller on a backdrop of Ipswich from above and political party colour overlays
Tim Miller of PLMR GenesisOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The national outlook: The survey of 5,180 adults showed Reform securing 25% of the vote share nationally, compared to 23% each for Labour and the Conservatives. This would translate to 227 seats for Reform, 180 for Labour and 130 for the Conservatives.

The bottom line: "If Labour wants to keep Reform at bay, hold onto the gains they made in the East of England and remain in government in four year's time, the Party needs to focus on getting their message across more clearly to voters and instil confidence in their domestic agenda," Miller concluded.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

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