MANCHESTER

A taxi driver has been jailed over a £2m money laundering racket - after he was found with £250k on the back seat of his car.

Investigators found the cash in a bag on the back seat of Waqas Ilyas’ Skoda when they swooped in April, 2015.

They uncovered another £36,435 hidden under his mattress at his Stretford home and a ledger which detailed a month of dodgy transactions worth a whopping £1.7m.

Ilyas, 35, and his partner Nazia Ghafar, 31, a saleswoman, were arrested and claimed the cash was linked to the ‘hawala’ alternative money transfer system.

The system is used by people without a bank account to transfer cash, particularly in the Middle East, Africa and Indian subcontinent.

As it is unregulated in many jurisdictions, it is also used to launder criminal cash.

Ilyas and his partner at first denied the crime but changed their pleas on the eve of a trial when faced with overwhelming evidence.

Following months of investigation under the codename Operation Katowice, officials from HM Revenue and Customs swooped on Ilyas’ 2005-registered Skoda Octavia, only worth about £3,000, and found a bag stuffed with £248,880 in cash on the back seat.

They carried out another search at the home he shared with Ghafar in Melville Road in Stretford and they found a further £36,435 hidden under their mattress in a JD Sports carrier bag.

Also uncovered was a ‘ledger book’ which listed transactions totalling £1.7m covering a one month period.

The pair had initially denied money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act but they changed their pleas on the eve of their trial at Manchester Crown Court . 

And they didn’t challenge the seizure of the cash.

Ilyas was jailed for four years while Ghafar was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence.

The investigation did not establish which crime - for instance drug dealing or tax fraud - had generated the criminal cash.

Following the hearing, Richard Wentel, assistant director of the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said: “This couple realised their weak explanations would not stand up in court and finally admitted their crimes. HMRC will not tolerate this illegal economy. If there is no legitimate reason for bundles of cash like this we will seize it – explain it or lose it.

https://goo.gl/E7osTV

-------------------------------------------------

LIVERPOOL

 Detectives are appealing for information after a woman was raped in Aintree .

The victim is believed to have been attacked after taking a taxi from Liverpool city centre in the early hours of Sunday morning. 

Officers are appealing for three women who initially shared the cab with her to come forward as they could have details crucial to the investigation.

The victim is thought to have got into a taxi near the Met Quarter with the women, who left the vehicle in Anfield.

Emergency services were then called to reports of a rape in the Aintree area, just after 3.45am.

An investigation has been launched into the incident and police are appealing for information.

https://goo.gl/r536z8

-------------------------------------------------------


KNOWSLEY

A taxi driver was subjected to a terrifying highway robbery by a gunman in Stockbridge Village .

Merseyside Police has launched a witness appeal after the robbery on Saturday.

At around 5.40am the 41-year-old victim was responding to a call in Custley Hey where she was met by a man. He demanded money while holding what appeared to be a gun.

The taxi driver gave him a quantity of cash and he made off on foot in the direction of the estate. She was not injured during the incident.

The robber is described as being white, in his mid 30’s, about 5ft 2in tall, and of medium build.

He had brown wavy hair to his chin and was wearing a black jacket with a hood, dark denim jeans, trainers and black leather gloves.

House to house enquiries have been carried out and witnesses have been spoken to. CCTV opportunities are also being explored.

An investigation into the full circumstances surrounding this incident is continuing.

Detective Constable Katie Morrison said: "It is disgraceful to think this offender could target someone just trying to earn a living.

"Thankfully she was not hurt but she has been left very shaken by what happened.

"Thankfully incidents of this nature are few and far between.

"The force is absolutely determined to crack down on attempts to rob people trying to go about their jobs and day-to-day lives.

"I can reassure people we are doing everything we can to trace and arrest the man involved. Few people are out at that time of day – I would urge anyone who saw anything which in hindsight may seem suspicious to get in touch.”

Anyone with information can call Knowsley CID on 0151 777 6507 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.


https://goo.gl/lVbjME

------------------------------------------------------------

HITCHEN

Police are appealing to taxi drivers to come forward who were in Hitchin town centre during the early hours of yesterday morning when a man was stabbed in the leg.

The man sustained the wound after an altercation with another man at about 3am outside HSBC bank and Greggs, which left a pool of blood on the High Street pavement.

The victim, in his 30s, was taken to hospital but was later discharged.

An 18-year-old man from Hitchin has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, but officers are appealing to taxi drivers who were in the area at the time to get in touch.

Det Con Simon Goodship from North Herts Local Crime Unit, who is investigating, said: “Thankfully crimes of this nature are rare in Hitchin and we are working hard to establish the circumstances of this incident.

“I am appealing to anyone who was in the area around 3am, particularly taxi drivers who were parked near to Greggs and HSBC at the time the incident took place and witnessed anything, to please get in touch as soon as possible. Any information you provide could prove to be crucial to our investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Goodship via 101. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through the anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

While investigations continue the teenager from Hitchin has been released on bail and is due to return to Stevenage Police Station on November 20.

https://goo.gl/A5n9Rd