Karlin Cavill, 25, is serving a four year and three month prison sentence after admitting advertising and supplying cocaine between April and October 2021.

Ipswich Crown Court heard he benefitted from £41,525 worth of criminal money during this period.

The Crown Prosecution Service said yesterday that just £2,985 of this sum cash is left for officials to seize.

Behind bars - Karlin Cavill (Image: Essex Police)

The court heard £2,885 is tied up in cryptocurrency and may take “some months” to recover, while the remaining £100 is in cash.

Judge Martyn Levett said: “The available amount is £2,985. I therefore declare the available amount is less than the benefit and therefore, the confiscation order will be £2,985.”

The judge ordered the money be paid within three months and the cannabis and drugs line phone owned by Cavill, of Old Road, Clacton, to be forfeited and destroyed.

Essex Police launched Operation Monaco which ran between June and December 2021, amid concerns the supply of cocaine was rife within Colchester and violence was increasing.

Criminal cash - money seized as part of Operation Monaco (Image: Essex Police)

The investigation soon linked the force to pubs the Leather Bottle, in Shrub End Road, Colchester, and the Royal Mortar, in Military Road.

And from here covert officers acquainted themselves with drug dealers operating within the venues, beginning to build their case, with crooks unwittingly selling Class A drugs to the force.

Officers swooped in on Cavill after he was caught inserting a sim card from a “burner” phone into his personal phone, leading detectives to track his crimes before executing a search warrant.

Through further probes officers were able to work to expose the network, which included Cavill, Jordan Gibbins, Adam Stephenson, Benjamin Skelton, Nigel Parkes, Shane Dadds and John Stone.

Drugs - Class A goods and drug paraphernalia seized during Operation Monaco (Image: Essex Police)

Stephanie Szymanska was also found to have supplied cocaine.

The investigation led to the revocation of both the Leather Bottle and Royal Mortar’s alcohol licences, with the former getting it reinstated in May last year.

The Leather Bottle was briefly relaunched before closing down on Christmas Day in 2022.