A MAN who was jailed for a year for dealing in stolen car parts could have to pay back £35,000 of criminal gains.

Zahoor Rehman, 25, of Parliament Street, Peterborough, was arrested on November 11 last year after police raided an industrial unit in First Drove, Peterborough.

Officers discovered a large number of parts from stolen vehicles, including engines, body panels and wheels, at the unit which was being rented by Rehman.

Inquiries revealed the parts were from a Volkswagen Touran, stolen in a burglary four days prior in Ford Close, Yaxley; a Volkswagen Golf stolen in a burglary on October 22 in Leiston Court, Eye; an Audi A4 stolen in a burglary in Cherrytree Walk, Yaxley, on October 25; and a Volkswagen Golf stolen in Nicholls Avenue, West Town, Peterborough, between June 4 and 5.

Rehman initially denied any wrongdoing but later pleaded guilty to four counts of handling stolen goods and received 12 month sentences on each count, to run concurrently, at Peterborough Crown Court in August.

On Friday (November 23) at Peterborough Crown Court, a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act was granted by Judge Nic Madge.

Rehman's benefit from crime was agreed to be £35,000 but his available assets, two cars and some cash in a bank account, were valued at £7395.95, and this is the amount of the confiscation order.

The order can be revisited if further assets are identified and increased until all of the outstanding benefit is paid.

Clive Bridgeman, manager of the force's economic crime unit, said: "Rehman profited well from his crime and has continually attempted to avoid the law.

"However, this case shows that crime will not pay and anyone thinking of making money through crime should remember we have the tools to take all the criminals benefits back."