A CRIMINAL cash courier from Coventry has been handed a suspended prison sentence for money laundering after he was caught in a car with more than £100,000 in used bank notes.
Enwar Fettah, 50, was approached by investigators from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as he sat in a Mercedes 4×4 in a deserted area of an industrial estate in Edmonton, north London, at 9.30pm on November 26, 2016.
During a search of the vehicle, HMRC officers found £100,970 inside two brand new laptop bags which still had price tags attached.
Fettah told officers he had been offered £120 to drop the money off by a man he didn’t know.
Paul Fisher, assistant director of the HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Fettah was effectively working as a criminal courier. He says he was paid £120, but is now paying a much higher price.
“People involved in money laundering help to fund the illegal activities of organised crime gangs.
“We will not hesitate to seize proceeds of crime and investigate anyone involved. I would urge anyone with information about this type of crime to report it to HMRC online, or call our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”
Fettah pleaded guilty to money laundering at Birmingham Crown Court in June this year and was sentenced to 10 months prison, suspended for 18 months, at Warwick Crown Court today.
Fettah was also told to pay £1,200 costs and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
The money was forfeited following an uncontested court hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court in February last year.
Information about any type of tax fraud can be reported to HMRC online at www.gov.uk/report-an-unregistered-trader-or-business.
