DRUGS gang members have been stripped of more than £100,000 of illegal profits.

Leo Ellis, Scott Gardner, Wesley Long, Kevin Wise, and Jason Caswell were part of the group that sold class A drugs in East Sussex.

But after the five members were prosecuted, the police and courts launched action under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize the cash.

At Hove Crown Court, they were ordered to hand over the sums.

And detectives say they will continue checks to make sure the gang cannot benefit from cash that might have been squirrelled away.

Ellis, 25, from Hastings, and pal Caswell, 42, were the main drug dealers, supplying cocaine across the county.

Police raided the duo and seized drugs and cash over several months in 2015 and 2016.

Ellis and Caswell were both jailed for life in February 2018 for conspiracy to murder.

Meanwhile Gardner, 42, was guilty of money laundering and was sentenced to a year in prison.

Long, 41, was sentenced to three years in jail for admitting a charge of conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Meanwhile Wise, 53, was sentenced to 18 years for supplying cocaine and ecstasy (MDMA).

At Hove Crown Court, Ellis was ordered to repay £10,500.

Gardner was ordered to pay £43,000, and Wesley Long was ordered to pay nearly £50,000.

Caswell was ordered to repay £15 and Wise must pay a nominal amount of £1.

But the Metropolitan Police already secured proceedings against Wise, ordering him to repay £136,000 in a separate case.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Richardson said Ellis, Caswell and Wise benefited by amounts which are greater than they currently have to repay.

But he said police will keep records, and will check to see if the group have any further assets.

Then the court confiscation orders can be changed and increased.

He said: “Meanwhile, even orders such as those just granted still send the important message that we will always go after criminal assets even beyond conviction, to try to return them lawful and useful purposes.”

The money seized goes to the Government, and is then handed back to police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the court system.

Sussex receives half of the money that is forfeited, and 18.75 per cent of the sums used in court confiscation orders. In the past year, the force has seized about £3.3 million from drugs gangs. Money is used for financial investigators, and given to community schemes.