Putney Man Gets Nine Years For Money Laundering

The final criminal in a series of trials in a £250m VAT fraud case

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December 23, 2011t size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">39 year old Nasir Khan, from Putney Wharf, was sentenced to nine years for money laundering in the sixth and final trial at Southwark Crown Court. The £250m VAT fraud that took place between June 2001 and July 2003.

Mr Khan was part of a gang of fifteen, the other fourteen were sentenced for conspiracy to cheat the public revenue at earlier trials.

The trials followed a 10-year investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). On 2 July 2003, HMRC officers carried out a series of co-ordinated arrests across the country as part of Operation Euripus. During the arrests they seized more than half a million documents and 130 computer hard drives as they targeted those involved in a fraud centred around mobile phones.

A spokesman from HMRC, said:
"The scale of this operation was unprecedented when we carried out the initial raids in 2003. We had 350 officers visiting around 100 premises across the UK and Spain which led to the arrest of 42 people. VAT fraud is a serious crime which diverts vital income from the UK's public services into the pockets of career criminals to fund their lavish and luxurious lifestyles. There are clear associations between this type of organised crime and violence, shootings, kidnap, extortion and drug trafficking."

What happened to the other 14?
* jailed on 19 April 2011 were Jo-Anne Halliday, 41, from Royal Way, Stoke-on-Trent, and Curtis Laurent, 53, from Cefn Rise, Newport, Gwent, both received two years and 10 months each

* jailed on 26th November 2010 were Dennis Hunter, 61, from Woburn Close, Wimbledon, (nine years) and 60-year-old Peter Arthur Ebbrell, from Borrowell Lane, Coventry, (four years & five months)

* jailed 14 January 2010 were Hashib Ansari Apabhai, 51 (7.5 years), and 31-year-old Eisa Masihullah Apabhai (6 years), both from Gatehouse Lane, Bedworth, were sentenced with Adam Amani, 50 (7.5 years), from Reddington Road, Nuneaton.

* jailed 20 July 2009 were 47-year-old German Castillo from Castelldefels in Barcelona (10 years) , Jonathon Baigent, 45, from Shanklin Road, Godshill, Isle of Wight (2.5years), and Denise Westmoreland, 45(2.5 years), from New Road in Trewn, Cornwall

* jailed on 12 September 2008 (the initial trial) 39-year-old Taher Majid from Ty Draw Road, Cardiff,(10 years), and Abdul Koser, 45,(5 years)from Chelsfield Grove, Manchester. Quentin Reynolds, 49, from Hornsey Lane, Highgate, London, (4.5 years), and 41-year-old Marcus Hughes of HMP Wandsworth who pleaded guilty (6 years).

The HRMC said:
"This sends a clear signal to anyone involved or considering becoming involved in VAT fraud that the crime is serious and so are the penalties."

 

December 21, 2011