Babak Anvarizadeh and Adam Khan from Cardiff were jailed alongside Parvisharn Tiwana
Members of an organised crime gang used online betting accounts to launder £2m in drug money.
Three members of the criminal group, including two Cardiff men, have been sent to prison for their part in the operation in South Wales.
Two others were handed suspended sentences and three more given community orders.
The convictions follow an investigation by the Regional Organised Crime Unit (Wales) into the criminal activities of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) responsible for the facilitation, transportation and distribution of large quantities of class ‘B’ controlled drugs from the Midlands into the South Wales area, and the subsequent money laundering of their criminal proceeds.
Babak Anvarizadeh, 26, from Pentwyn in Cardiff , was the head of the South Wales OCG and used his Ladbrokes betting account, together with other members of his OCG, to launder the proceeds of his criminality by depositing large amounts of cash into the account.
Ladbrokes records confirmed that from the date the account was opened until 9 February 2016 an amount of £1,956,315.72 had been deposited into the account and that a total of £833,471.80 had been withdrawn.
Consequently the defendant’s actual loss has been calculated as £1,122,843.92. He was sentenced to six years in prison at Cardiff Crown Court on 14 November.
Adam Khan, 29, from Birchgrove in Cardiff , was also a member of the gang and packed drugs, was a street dealer and money collector, a money launderer and chauffeur to the head of the OCG.
He personally deposited criminal proceeds totalling £75,910 into this Ladbrokes account since July 2015.
He received a three year sentence and Parvisharn Tiwana, 23, from Birmingham who was also a key player in the OCG was sentenced to three years in prison at the same time.
Detective Inspector Julian Bull of the Regional Organised Crime Unit (Wales), said: “The disruption of this organised crime group and the custodial sentences handed down to its main players will serve as a warning to others who may be considering pedalling drugs in our communities that behaviour of this kind will not be tolerated.
“We will find those responsible and bring them before the courts. We will also take the necessary steps to recover any of their ill-gotten proceeds of crime.”
The other sentences handed down by Cardiff Crown Court to members of the organised crime group were:
- Neil Brant, 41, from Roath, Cardiff: 16 months suspended sentence.
- Aaron King, 27, from Bradford on Avon near Bath, 12 months suspended sentence.
- Leah Farleigh, 24, from Pentwyn, Cardiff: Two years community service, 150 hours unpaid work.
- Megan Jones, 21, from Roath: 12 months community service.
- Aiden Burton, 18, from Roath: 12 month community order, 60 hours unpaid.
- http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/gang-members-used-ladbrokes-betting-12220353
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