Abdul Fahad pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering at Southwark Crown Court in September (Pic-NCA)
Abdul Fahad, of Ilford, was arrested in 2018 after over £100,000 in cash was found in his car.
He was charged with multiple counts of money laundering offences after even more cash was found in his home, an investigation found evidence of frequent suspicious trips to the United Arab Emirates.
Fahad told the initial investigation that the cash was his life savings which had some from the sale of stocks and property.
He also said that he was a sole trader who dealt in cars and the money was due to be paid in to a bank to buy a car.
Police investigated further and found Fahad was in regular contact with Sathar Khan, a man who had been jailed for attempting to board a flight in 2018 to Dubai with almost £1.5 million in his suitcase.
Officers found messages on Fahad’s phone which showed messages containing pictures of a handwritten note which detailed a list of dates of travel to Dubai between himself and Khan.
Between 2017 and 2018, the pair made nearly 200 return flights between them where it was discovered they’d return with a suitcase weighing significantly less that what they’d go with.
Investigators believe that Fahad left the UK with an additional 379 kilos which NCA investigators believe equates to around £5 million in cash.
The NCA also found a conversation with a perspective cash courier, one message read, ‘Giv me some work too… so I can earn too.’
They also found plans between Fahad and Khan to have two couriers a day on money laundering runs out of the UK between July and August 2018.
It’s estimated that had this been successful then over £50 million could’ve been moved out of the UK.
Fahad pleaded guilty to three charges of money laundering at Southwark Crown Court in September of this year; he was granted bail and has absconded.
In his absence he was handed an eight year prison stretch at the same court on December 16.
Jason Hulme, Operations Manager at the National Crime Agency said, “Fahad was at the heart of a multi-million-pound money laundering conspiracy, moving cash which would have been derived from serious and organised crime in the UK and internationally.
“We are seeking information on his whereabouts in order that he is made to serve his prison sentence. We believe he could be in East London, particularly around the Ilford or East Ham area and has connections to Dubai and Sri Lanka.
“Anyone with information should report to the NCA Control Centre on 0370 496 7622 quoting Operation Blissless or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
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Tags: Ilford, Money Laundering, Abdul Fahad
