By Chris Williamson-
A former detective from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has been ordered to repay more than £75,000 after being found to have stolen nearly 4 kg of cocaine from the police evidence store and sold it on the streets of Manchester. The court’s ruling represents a major victory for efforts to hold corrupt officers accountable and sends a striking message about the consequences of abuse of public trust.
The case against Andrew Talbot(pictured) once a detective in GMP’s Serious Crime Division exposed a brazen betrayal of duty. Over a period spanning February 2018 to January 2020, Talbot diverted Class A drugs from the force’s secured property store at Nexus House and supplied them to criminals, abusing privileged access and undermining the integrity of police investigations.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
The downfall began with what appeared at first to be a routine incident. On 13 February 2020, Talbot was captured on CCTV dropping a small bag of cocaine outside his daughter’s primary school. That moment triggered an internal investigation by GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit, leading to his arrest later that same week.
Moments after dropping her off, it captures the former army officer walking away from the class, still within the school grounds shortly before 9am on February 13, 2020. He is seen fiddling in a back pocket and, after he withdraws his hand an indistinguishable white item drops to the ground.
Talbot, totally unaware he has dropped anything or that his secret life of crime is about to come crashing down, walks away, to continue his work as a respected detective constable in the serious crime division of Greater Manchester Police.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
Staff reported the bag to the police, with testing later proving it was cocaine. GMP’s counter corruption unit started an investigation, and, three days later, soon after Talbot had driven into Nexus House to begin his shift, shocked colleagues watched as he was arrested. The former detective had abused his position by stealing cocaine from the evidence store at work and supplying it on the streets of Manchester. He has now been ordered to pay back over £75,000 – or face more time in jail.
Talbot, who was previously a GMP detective working within the force’s Serious Crime Division, stole just under 4kg of cocaine from the GMP property store 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.
He 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 former detective pleaded guilty the previous November to two counts of possession of cocaine, possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate, theft of cocaine, conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, a further count of misconduct in public office, and unauthorised access to computer material.
Subsequent searches of his home, car, and work equipment uncovered significant evidence of wrongdoing — including drugs, paraphernalia, and paperwork linking him to stolen exhibits from police seizures. Talbot was ultimately convicted on charges including supplying Class A drugs, misconduct in public office, theft of cocaine, possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate, and unauthorised access to computer material. In September 2024 a judge handed him a 19-year prison sentence for his crimes.
On 1 December 2025, a Proceeds of Crime hearing at Liverpool Crown Court concluded that Talbot had benefited to the tune of £179,372.17 from his criminal activity. The court issued a Confiscation Order demanding repayment of £75,420.67 the full amount of known assets that could be traced to be paid within three months. If Talbot fails to comply, he faces an additional two years behind bars.
The decision reflects a firm stance by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and GMP that individuals who abuse their police powers for personal gain will not be allowed to profit from their crimes. “Talbot comprehensively abused his position as a police detective,” a CPS spokesperson said.
Authorities made clear that the £75,000 represents just the portion of illicit gains that could be linked to identifiable assets; he remains liable for the remaining sum, which could be pursued if new assets are discovered. Their financial recovery tools in stripping corrupt individuals of their ill-gotten gains was seen in full force here. Cocaine found of such high value always poses a temptation to corrupt cops, who would often fall for the bait in the false belief they would escape detection, but it is their own efficient colleagues that hold them to book, as the drug squad of most police forces are very strong and united in purpose.
During the trial, the prosecution was able to prove that Talbot supplied the drugs he stole, and that the cocaine was not just for personal use, as he claimed. The prosecution also proved that Talbot attempted to frustrate the investigation by providing an incorrect passcode for his phone after receiving a formal notice to disclose it.
Breach of Trust, Inside and Out
The betrayal at the heart of this case cuts against the fundamental responsibility entrusted to police officers, which is to protect the public and uphold the law. Instead, Talbot’s actions helped feed Manchester’s drug trade supplying dangerous substances he was supposed to keep off the streets.
Talbut abused his duty and manipulated systems designed to safeguard evidence, using sensitive police databases to identify potential buyers and coordinate with a convicted dealer implicated in his scheme. The investigations revealed not just the theft, but also a wider network of wrongdoing: supply, conspiracy, misuse of confidential information, and systematic betrayal of the public’s trust. In sentencing and financial penalty, prosecutors and police sought to demonstrate that corruption from within will be met with the full force of justice.
Though Talbot’s sentence has already stripped him of his rank, liberty, and prospects, the confiscation order ensures he will also forfeit at least part of the financial gains derived from his wrongdoing. Prosecutors have committed to pursuing any additional assets discovered in the future. No records of any past offences or disciplinary measures has been mentioned, making it the hope that this may have been the officer’s first offence.
The outcome offers some measure of restitution not to victims in the traditional sense, but to the principle that those who break the law must not profit or escape justice. For communities affected by drug harm, it is a small but significant step toward accountability.
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar