Luxury Rolex and Cartier watches have been seized from a convicted drug dealer as part of a court order under the Proceeds of Crime Act, Kent Police confirmed today.
The items were among £57,125 worth of criminal assets confiscated from Michael Wheaton, 42, of Ditton, who is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for his role in a major cocaine supply network.
Wheaton was sentenced in April 2024 after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine, following a lengthy investigation by Kent Police. He had initially come under suspicion in January 2019, after a car driven by one of his associates was stopped on the M20 and found to be carrying 1.5 kilograms of cocaine.
A detailed investigation later linked Wheaton to a burner phone that had been topped up at a petrol station just yards from his London Road home. When police raided his property two months later, they recovered a carrier bag containing almost £10,000 in cash.
Despite pleading not guilty at Canterbury Crown Court, Wheaton was convicted following a trial.
Following the conclusion of the criminal trial, financial investigators pursued a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). Their analysis included reviews of Wheaton’s personal and business bank accounts, with prosecutors arguing that some businesses were sham companies used to launder drug money.
On 20 March 2025, a confiscation hearing at Canterbury Crown Court ruled that Wheaton had available assets worth £57,125, including high-end luxury watches, which were ordered to be seized.
Detective Chief Inspector Helen Smithers, speaking after the ruling, said:
"The Proceeds of Crime Act remains one of our biggest weapons against those who fund a lifestyle from crime.
It enables police to claw back any ill-gotten gains from offenders, by allowing us to seize cash, cars and even lavish homes which may have been funded by crime.
Powers derived from the Act can also mean that a criminal continues to pay for their crimes long after they’ve been released from prison — and allow us to recover further assets if identified in the future."
The case highlights the ongoing efforts by police to dismantle the financial infrastructure of organised crime groups and ensure criminals do not profit from their offences, even after conviction.
Anyone with information on criminal financial activity can contact Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.
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