Former detective who stole drugs from a police property store is ordered to pay back criminal funds

A former detective who abused his position by stealing cocaine from the evidence store at work and supplying it on the streets of Manchester has been ordered to pay back over £75,000 or face more time in jail.

Andrew Talbot, 55, who was previously a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) detective working within the force’s Serious Crime Division, stole just under 4kg of cocaine from the GMP property store at Nexus House, before supplying it between February 2018 and January 2020.

He also conducted multiple searches of GMP’s confidential computer systems for known or suspected drug dealers to help him sell the drugs and provided confidential police information to a friend under investigation for assault.

The 54-year-old conspired with a convicted drug dealer, Keith Bretherton, and used his position as a police officer to give confidential police information to help Bretherton recover a drug debt worth more than £20,000.

The investigation into Talbot by GMP’s anti-corruption unit began after he dropped a small bag of cocaine outside his daughter’s primary school on 13 February 2020.

He was then searched at work and was found to have more cocaine on him. His car contained a piece of paper with exhibit references and the property number for two successful GMP operations into the supply of cocaine. A further search of his home revealed drug paraphernalia and a GMP property bag containing traces of cocaine.

The CPS through its comprehensive proceeds of crime work, in conjunction with the Greater Manchester Police, secured a Confiscation Order for the defendant to pay back his available assets.

The judge determined Talbot benefitted in the sum of £179,372.17 from his criminal actions and then made a Confiscation Order of £75,420.67, equalling all of the amount he had available to him to pay. Talbot will remain liable for the difference between his full criminal benefit and his available amount and can be reinvestigated and brought back to court at any stage, if new assets are found. 

Helen Hughes, Unit Head Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The public expects police officers to obey the law. Andrew Talbot comprehensively abused his position as a police detective. He stole drugs from Greater Manchester Police’s property store, which he brazenly supplied on the streets of the same city he had a duty to protect. It is right that he should not benefit as a result. 

“The CPS has secured a Confiscation Order in the sum of Talbot’s all known assets. 

“If he fails to pay, he will be brought back to court to serve an additional sentence of imprisonment on top of his original sentence.

“We continue to pursue the proceeds of crime robustly with the Greater Manchester Police and will continue to disrupt and deter criminal corruption.

“In the last five years, over £478 million has been recovered from CPS obtained Confiscation Orders, ensuring that thousands of convicted criminals cannot profit from their offending. £95 million of that amount has been returned to victims of crime, by way of compensation.”