A Llandysul farmer estimated to have made more than £100,000 by selling illegal ‘smokies’ can’t pay money under a Proceeds of Crime application as he has no assets, a court has heard.

Carmelo Gale was convicted in 2017 of a string of offences in supplying ‘smokies’, blowtorched sheep carcasses which are banned.

Gale, 63, already had previous convictions for supplying smokies.

He escaped a prison sentence in 2017, with a suspended prison sentence imposed instead after Swansea Crown Court heard that blowtorched carcasses were found in a van in unhygienic ­conditions.

Gale, of Lan Teifi, Trefedw, was said to have made over £100,000 from his illegal supply of smokies, but after authorities tried to recoup money through a Proceeds of Crime application, Swansea Crown Court heard that despite benefiting by £104,323 he now has no assets.

Despite that Gale said he would pay £30,000 towards prosecution costs by relying on family helping him find the money within a 12-month period.

The hearing in 2017 heard that Gale believed that smokies should be legalised, but his solicitor at the time admitted that Gale knew it was illegal and had to accept his punishment.

As well as the smokie carcasses in the van, there were also bags of animal parts found which contained no health or slaughter stamps which there should have been.

Following the search of the van, investigators searched Gale’s farm and found evidence that he was preparing smokies.