A former trainee police officer has been handed a lifetime ban from the service after she was found to have repeatedly accessed confidential police systems to tip off her drug dealer boyfriend about an ongoing operation.
A Betrayal of Trust
Maryam Ilyas, who was just 20 years old, exploited her position within West Yorkshire Police to search for information concerning her partner on three separate occasions between March and May 2025. The force confirmed that Ilyas, who had joined in 2024, then informed her boyfriend that he was the target of a plain clothes criminal investigation.
The illicit relationship and the information breaches were not uncovered by the police until June 2025. An investigation subsequently revealed messages between Ilyas and the criminal, which included discussions about drug dealing and pictures he had sent showing a "large amount of money".
The Disciplinary Hearing and Fallout
A disciplinary tribunal heard that Ilyas had failed to declare her relationship with the man on her police vetting forms. She initially claimed to investigators in January that she was "unaware of his criminal history".
However, Deputy Chief Constable Catherine Hankinson found that the messages demonstrated an "existing relationship" that continued until July 2025. The panel concluded that, although Ilyas resigned before the hearing concluded, she would have been dismissed from the force due to her actions.
Deputy Chief Constable Hankinson stated that the officer's conduct was "repeated, sustained and intentional," adding that it was a "disservice to the public and to her colleagues." Ilyas was ultimately found to have committed gross misconduct.
From Denial to Admission
Ilyas initially denied any wrongdoing, telling a national newspaper that she was a "student officer" who was "really new to all this." She claimed she felt she was "expected to know everything straight away."
She later admitted to the allegations, which included failing to declare the relationship and passing on confidential information and images about the police operation. As a result, she has been banned from serving in any police force in the UK for life.
