"there are links in this case to violent organised crime"
The National Crime Agency has recovered more than £500,000 linked to bogus Bradford car firm ‘Niche Cars Limited’.
The Bradford-based bogus car firm had been claiming that the nature of its business was ‘the sale of used cars and light motor vehicles’.
However, NCA discovered the company never had any stock, nor any legitimate source of income.
In a High Court civil recovery hearing on December 18, 2020, the NCA successfully argued that the Bradford-based firm was receiving money derived from fraud.
Justice McGowan granted an order on the sum of £526,912.07 which was held in an account registered to the liquidated vehicle company.
Niche Cars Limited was traced to the lone Director and shareholder Amjid Ali (aka Amjad Rashid) aged 40.
Speaking on the case Andy Lewis, Head of Asset Denial in the National Crime Agency, said:
“Taking control of funds after civil proceedings might seem like purely a white-collar matter.
“However, we believe there are links in this case to violent organised crime groups in West Yorkshire.
“The NCA pursues any available means of recovering illicit wealth, in this case using civil recovery powers to take more than half a million pounds out of the financial system.”
Sarah Pritchard, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) at the NCA, said:
“Tackling illicit wealth is key to disrupting serious and organised crime and reducing its harmful impact in communities.
“We continue to work tirelessly to identify and recover the proceeds of crime.”
Ali from Bradford several prior criminal convictions.
The NCA’s civil recovery investigation in the case was assisted by the West Yorkshire Police.
Earlier in July 2020, NCA in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police ran one of the most significant operations they have ever launched against serious and organised crime.
171 people were arrested in London as part of a larger criminal syndicate which resulted in more than 700 people being arrested across Europe.
The arrested have been accused of money laundering, conspiracy to murder as well as drugs and racketeering.
The Police in London seized £13 million of suspect cash.
Whereas, across Europe drugs worth £80 million, 77 guns and more than £54 million in cash has been seized.
Police officers and law enforcement officials were among those arrested.
Thousands of officers from the NCA, regional crime squads and every police force in the UK was found to be involved in the criminal conspiracy.
The case was cracked as the French authorities managed to access Encrochat, an encrypted platform used by 60,000 people worldwide.
As well as 10,000 in the UK, for what law enforcement agencies claim were purely criminal purposes.
All those arrested will be dealt with by the fullest extent of the law.
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