Two men have been sentenced to three years in prison each for money laundering offences after they were caught with more than £270,000 in cash by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.
Omerfaraz Rahman, 43, of no fixed address, and Jonathan Oscroft, 36, from Nottingham, admitted to being involved in the illegal transfer of money obtained through criminal activities, such as drug dealing.
The pair were arrested after a surveillance operation that saw Rahman get into a Porsche driven by Oscroft in Nottingham on Monday 17 September 2018. Rahman was carrying a carrier bag full of banknotes, which he later placed into the boot of an Audi.
The Audi was then driven back to Medway, where it was stopped by police on Maidstone Road, Wigmore.
Rahman claimed he had around £35,000 cash inside the vehicle, but officers found a total of £61,155 and seized a phone containing various images of large amounts of money.
Rahman was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and taken to a police station. A search of his home address revealed a cash counting machine and other evidence of his involvement in the illegal movement of money.
The carrier bag seized from Rahman’s car had a forensic link to Oscroft, who was arrested at his home address on Tuesday 8 January 2019. A search of his house resulted in the discovery of £212,674 cash and mobile phone evidence showing his links to the supply of illegal drugs.
Police also seized a cash counting machine and the Porsche that Oscroft had used to transport Rahman, which is suspected to have been bought with the proceeds of crime.
Detective Inspector Ian Sanderson of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: ‘Most people do not keep vast quantities of cash hidden in their home or car unless they have something to hide. In the case of Omerfaraz Rahman and Jonathan Oscroft, they were trying to hide the fact that they are criminals.
‘Neither man had the legitimate means to have as much money as they did, and together with the other evidence obtained throughout the course of this investigation it was clear the cash had been obtained through illegal means.
‘I hope this case sends a strong message to others that we have our eyes and ears everywhere, and that if you are making money through illegal means then your offending will catch up with you in the end.’
Rahman and Oscroft pleaded guilty to money laundering offences and were sentenced to three years each at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday 10 August 2023.