Piles of cash found in wardrobe
Man jailed for money laundering made thousands from untaxed alcohol
A HAYES man has been jailed for laundering a six-figure sum of ‘dirty’ money, from sales of untaxed alcohol.
Gurbax Singh, 46, was handed a three-and-a-half year prison sentence last week after using his alcohol wholesale businesses, Phoenix Wholesale Trading Ltd (PWT Ltd), in Ilford, and UKK Wines Ltd in Romford, to trade in nonUK duty paid alcohol.
His accomplice, James Meekings, 36, of Gordon Road, Thurrock, Essex, acted as a cash courier to clean up the ‘dirty’ money and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to undertake 250 hours unpaid work.
Altogether, the pair were found to have laundered cash totalling £166,000 in an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
David Margree, assistant director at HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Singh and Meekings received substantial amounts of cash which they knew were the profits from crime.
“They had no regard that they were stealing from the taxpayer and depriving the nation’s finances of money needed to fund public services.”
Singh, of Yeading Fork, Hayes, was arrested in June 2014, after HMRC officers observed him leaving a cash and carry in Croydon.
He was carrying a box and a black bag, which were found to contain £16,000 in cash.
Officers also found £50,000 cash hidden in the spare tyre compartment in the boot of his vehicle.
A further £100,000 cash was found, during a search of his home address, hidden in a wardrobe and sealed in carrier bags.
Meekings was also arrested in June 2014, after officers observed him leaving UKK Wines Ltd with a black holdall.
The bag contained almost £50,000 in cash and officers also found £4,165 in the glove box of his car and a further £4,800 hidden in a plastic container of ‘protein powder’ at his home address.
Both men were found guilty on Tuesday April 26 after a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in North-East London and sentenced on Tuesday May 24 the same court.
They had no regard that they were stealing from the taxpayer”