A boxer who started working for a drugs gang during the pandemic made more than £165k from his illegal activities.

Joe Fisher, 34, of Walnut Place, Harwell, was jailed for six years and eight months at Oxford Crown Court last summer for conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs and money laundering.

He worked for an organised crime group believed to have shifted more than 100kgs of cocaine in 2020.

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Hacked messages from the heavily-encrypted phone network Encrochat showed that welterweight boxer Fisher had handled ‘at least’ 3kgs of cocaine, a kilo of cannabis and £144,000 in cash.

When police seized the former welterweight boxer’s family home in Harwell they found scales and other paraphernalia. Officers also recovered almost £28,800 in dirty cash and an extendable baton.  

At a hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday, Recorder John Hardy KC ruled that Fisher had made £167,868.26 from his criminal activities.

He was ordered to pay back £58,347.70 under Proceeds of Crime Act rules. The almost £60,000 in cash and assets was the ‘available amount’ he had to pay back to the authorities.

Recorder Hardy said Fisher would have three months to pay the sum.

Last year, the court heard dad-of-two Fisher had been out of trouble since 2013. The talented amateur boxer volunteered his time at South Moreton Boxing Club.

Nawaz Khan, mitigating, said he had been 'struggling financially' at the start of the pandemic and made the 'foolish' decision to get involved in dealing drugs.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward