Four men sentenced for money laundering. Left to right: Zaka Din, Iftekhan Choudhary, Brian Mcinerney, Abdullah Rahim

The City of London Police have welcomed jail sentences imposed at the Old Bailey on four men who were involved in a global money laundering operation ‘cleaning’ over £20 million in funds.

Detectives seized £35,000 in cash from a Renault Scenic vehicle in Belmont Park, Lewisham and then linked it to an Excel spreadsheet disclosing £20.7 million in transactions in less than nine months.

Belmont Park, Lewisham- where cash would be couriered. Image: Google Satellite

Money would be moved to Dubai before going on a global journey of ‘laundering.’

City of London Police officer Detective Constable Darren Norman said:

This gang was directly responsible for the illegal transfer of £20 million of criminal money abroad.

They faked thousands of transaction receipts using two businesses in an attempt to hide their criminal actions.

This is criminal money being transferred around the globe in an attempt to make the money look legitimate and hide it from law enforcement agencies worldwide.

The four men involved were jailed at the Old Bailey on Monday 16th March for a total of 21 years and four months.

• 34 year old Abdullah Rahim from Lewishm was sentenced to six and a half years.
• 53 year old Brian Mcinerney from Islington was sentenced to fourteen months.
• 46 year old Zaka Din from Norbury was sentenced to eight years.​
• 30 year old old Iftekhan Choudhary was sentenced to five and a half years.

Choudhary and Mcinerney were arrested with the cash still on them by City of London police officers as part of a proactive operation.

Rahim owned a business called Joras Express Money Service Bureau in Whitechapel where he transferred the criminal money abroad.

At the shop, officers found 2,610 fake printed transaction slips.

Din used his travel agents business World Travel Link on London Road, Norbury as a cover for his unlawful dealings.

Choudhary was a trusted courier working for Rahim and along with Mcinerney was involved in the physical exchange of large sums of money within vehicles near the home of Rahim. 

Confiscation orders will now take place against Din and Rahim.​