Two men caught exchanging a gun in Margate have been ordered to surrender over £60,000 worth of criminal assets following a police investigation. Lee Walker, 37, and Alex Vassallo, 30, were seen acting suspiciously on Milton Avenue on the evening of Saturday, 18 June 2022, leading to their arrest.

Officers stopped and searched the men, discovering a rucksack containing an 8mm Bruni pistol and cocaine with a street value of up to £20,000. Both Walker and Vassallo were arrested and later charged with possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

They pleaded guilty to both charges at Canterbury Crown Court, and in February 2023, Walker, formerly of West Cliff Road, Ramsgate, was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison. Vassallo, formerly of Gladstone Road, Broadstairs, received a five-year and three-month sentence.

Following their sentencing, Kent Police applied for a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which allows authorities to recover assets gained through criminal activities. On Friday, 13 September 2024, a judge ruled that Walker must pay £56,000 in criminal assets. This followed an earlier ruling in which Vassallo was ordered to pay £4,900. Both men have three months to pay or face an extended prison sentence.

Kent Police Detective Inspector David Godfrey stated: “We will take every step open to us to remove criminal cash from circulation and ensure that crime doesn’t pay. Our investigations showed that these two men had clearly profited from illegitimate means, and recovering this money will help keep Kent a safer place.