Man behind £1.3m drugs factory must pay back just £1

A proceeds of crime hearing at Leeds Crown Court yesterday heard that while Jabbar Hyder made more than £1m from his enterprise, he now had nothing. However he was told he must pay a nominal £1 within 28 days, or face seven more days in prison.

Police uncovered a lab for the production of the highly addictive Class A drug when they raided an industrial unit in Hoyleshead Mills, Earlsheaton.

A chemical supply company raised the alarm after becoming suspicious about orders placed by car wash owner Jabbar Hyder in the summer of 2011, including iodine and red phosphorus.

Hyder denied anything illegal was going on at the Hotspot Car Wash in Bradford Road, Dewsbury but inquiries led police to the unit which had been rented as a garage by a friend of his, Christopher Allday.

When the unit was searched two rooms had been set up for the commercial production of methylamphetamine and 27.33 kilogrammes of the drug in a dilute form was recovered.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Jeffrey said after the case the lab was believed to be the first of its kind in Yorkshire and had the “capacity to flood the streets of our region and other parts of the country with millions of pounds worth of methylamphetamine.”

Hyder, 32 of Savile Street, Dewsbury was jailed in May this year for nine years six months after admitting conspiracy to produce methylamphetamine and possessing cannabis and another drug.

That sentence was ordered to run consecutively to a four year sentence he was already serving for conspiracy to supply Class B and C drugs. He was on bail for those offences when he became involved in the crystal meth factory.

Sentencing him Judge Guy Kearl QC said he was “at the top of the chain” and had used his business as a cover.

Alasdair Campbell told Leeds Crown Court yesterday that following a proceeds of crime inquiry no realiseable assets had been discovered for Hyder.

Recorder Paul Kirtley ruled Hyder’s benefit from crime was £1,366,650 but there being no assets available he ordered a nominal figure of £1 to be paid with 28 days or seven days in prison in default.

Allday, 29 of Rockhall Close, Birstall, who was jailed for seven years four months after admitting conspiracy to produce methylamphetamine, had his case adjourned until next month.

A proceeds of crime application against a third man, Thomas Cadden, was discontinued by the prosecution. Cadden, 22, of Ellis Court, Textile Street, Dewsbury, was jailed for two and a half years for being concerned in the production of the drug.

The court heard he worked for Hyder at the car wash and accepted delivery of chemicals on three occasions for his boss.