A HIGH-LEVEL drug dealer with a love for expensive watches and luxury cars has been stripped of more than £200,000 of his ill-gotten gains.

Simon Pipes, 30, officially made his living as a vehicle recovery specialist.

But when police raided his School Road home in Cumwhinton, near Carlisle, they found ample and powerful evidence for both his luxury lifestyle and his drug dealing.

Hidden in an oven in his kitchen were two tightly-wrapped packages: one with nearly 400g of cocaine ready-mixed for sale; and another smaller package with 234g of 79 percent pure cocaine.

The total value of the drugs haul was £110,000. Pipes was arrested after police searched his home on Thursday January 9, 2020.

The officers found more than £1,000 in cash and two Rolex watches. There were further searches at a garage compound which was used by Pipes and a self- storage facility. The officers recovered another £60,000 in cash, another Rolex watch, mixing agent, a press and a number of motor vehicles owned by him.

He was interviewed and charged with possession with intent to supply drugs class A cocaine and money laundering.

He later admitted those offences. At Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Barker ruled that Pipes had benefitted from his crime to the tune of £200,758.

That was also judged to be the value of his available assets.

Judge Barker told Pipes that all of that wealth must now be surrendered to the court within three months - or he will face another two years in jail.

The court heard that the assets Pipes had which were available for seizure are:

* Three Rolex watches valued together at £46,850

* An Audi RS3 car worth £30,000

* Porsche Cayenne valued at £30,000

* Iveco Daily van valued at £7,500

* Ford Transit van valued at £14,000

* A Can Am quad bike valued at £3,400

* Hugo Boss watch valued at £200

* £61,470 in cash seized by Police

* £7,139.94 held in two bank accounts

Pipes was last year jailed for six years after he admitted possessing criminal property and possessing the class A drug with intent to supply. His barrister told the court that said he had developed an addiction to cocaine and had found himself in "significant" debt. "He got drawn in," said the barrister, adding that Pipes was remorseful.

Mobile phone evidence also showed that Pipes was selling cocaine on a significant scale, the court heard.

In March, Cumbria Police confirmed that Pipes had been part of a seven strong gang who between them were jailed for nearly 40 years after drugs worth more than £300,000 were seized.

The Carlisle-based crime group were smashed by Cumbria Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit after the launch of Operation Oberlin as part of work to tackle drugs trafficking and supply in the county.

In court, last June, defence barrister Kim Whittlestone confirmed that Pipes was working within Durham Prison as a cleaner. She said after starting to use cocaine, Pipes was 'drawn in' to the world of drugs.

The barrister added: "He found himself in significant debt. He got drawn in and quite frankly, once within that lifestyle he became attracted to certain areas.”