"an agreement between yourself and Dacosta"
Accountant Bilal Farooq was jailed for two years for laundering £190,000 for a convicted drug dealer.
In 2016, Kane Dacosta was jailed for his involvement in a conspiracy to supply cocaine.
While in prison, Farooq became involved in laundering some of his drugs money.
Bradford Crown Court heard how Farooq even helped Dacosta to buy a £36,000 Mercedes which the criminal was then able to use after being released in July 2020.
Dacosta regularly used a mobile phone while in custody and Farooq’s number was listed under “accountant”.
In September 2020, the Mercedes was seized by police and after Dacosta asked Farooq for help, the accountant contacted the police himself claiming to be the vehicle owner and trying to get it released.
Farooq also allowed money to be transferred into his personal and savings accounts as well as into other companies set up by him.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told Farooq: “There appears to have been an agreement between yourself and Dacosta for you to launder his proceeds from drug trafficking.
“Other than his proceeds from drug trafficking, Dacosta had no other income.”
In total, Farooq laundered approximately £190,000 and he pleaded guilty to three charges relating to converting criminal property on the day of his trial in May 2024.
Judge Khokhar said Farooq, who had no previous convictions, must have worked hard to qualify as an accountant but he had let all that go to waste as a result of his “unwise and unprofessional actions”.
The judge said Farooq had brought his profession into disrepute and the offending had not been an isolated incident.
The money laundering took place over a 12-month period and involved a number of transactions.
Judge Khokhar acknowledged that it was only the day before his sentence hearing that Farooq had submitted a letter in which he had apologised for his conduct.
The judge said that “even after the Mercedes was seized being a professional accountant did not stop you from making representations on behalf of Dacosta for the release of that vehicle”.
Derek Duffy, defending, said Farooq accepted “turning a blind eye” to where the money was coming from and submitted that he was frightened of Dacosta.
According to Farooq, Dacosta knew personal details about him and it was a case of either “doing something” or living in fear for the rest of his life.
Farooq was jailed for two years.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Freeman of West Yorkshire Police said:
“Farooq was a key figure in the concealing of criminal property and I’m pleased he has been imprisoned for his offending.”
“Money laundering is not a victimless crime – it facilitates the drugs trade and wider organised crime that wreaks misery upon communities in West Yorkshire.
“West Yorkshire Police’s Programme Precision is dedicated to tackling the activities of serious organised criminals.
“We are committed to protecting our communities and we will use all necessary tactics to target organised crime groups and those participating in corruption, fraud, and money laundering.”
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