A CONVICTED drug dealer and money launderer has been stripped of all his assets.

Andrew Lee Usher, formally of 15 Westerham Grove, Beechwood, was ordered by a court to hand over 71,000 of goods.

Teesside Crown Court ruled that he had illegally earned 171,060.71.

Middlesbrough Drugs Unit recovered 250 grams of very high purity cocaine, with about 600.00 cash, when they raided his home in March 2005.

They also recovered a pistol together with ammunition and a stun gun.

Usher was arrested later that day and claimed that he was looking after the drugs for someone.

He admitted purchasing the pistol whilst on holiday and that he had found the stun gun in his partners car.

In September 2006, Usher was sentenced to three years six months for the drugs offence and 18 months and 12 months for possession of the pistol and stun gun after he pleaded guilty.

Detective Inspector Mel Ashley, of Cleveland Police, said: "This is another example of the effects of pursuing the benefits of crime by these individuals and those connected with them. It sends a powerful message that we will continue to seek courts orders which will ultimately remove the financial gains of drug dealing from those who choose to push their drugs on the streets of Middlesbrough."