A crime boss behind a £100m drugs plot has been ordered to pay back his ill-gotten gains or face more time in prison. Mohammed Tasadiq Khan, 38, was responsible for the import and wholesale distribution of at least 1,000kg of cocaine and heroin between 2021 and 2023.
His arrest came after officers discovered 10kg of cocaine in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. A safety deposit box belonging to Khan, along with 100g gold bullion bars, jewellery and cash, were also found.
Financial trail uncovered
Khan had created spreadsheets that officers found, showing the gang's finances, annual turnover and projected earnings of £1.3m. Details of three of Khan's properties - one in Dubai and two in Pakistan, valued at £1.3m - and a receipt for a dog costing more than £18,000 were also discovered.
Khan, formerly of Fir Avenue, Ravensthorpe, near Dewsbury, was jailed for 14 years in August 2024 after admitting conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin and possession of criminal property.
Confiscation order at Leeds Crown Court
At a confiscation hearing at Leeds Crown Court on Monday (October 19), it was accepted that Khan's financial gain from his criminal conduct had been £2,750,000 and his available assets were priced at £260,108. He was ordered to pay the amount within three months or receive a further three years in prison.
His co-accused, Razan Arif - the gang's accountant - was ordered to pay back £51,967.64 at a hearing at the court in September. He had been jailed for nine years and six months last year after admitting conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. His financial gain was said to be £1,070,481.62.
Police commitment to stripping criminal assets
Tom Matthews, financial investigation manager at West Yorkshire Police Economic Crime Unit, said following the hearing: "A detailed and comprehensive investigation by our specialist financial investigators was able to give a clear overview of the significant amount that Khan had benefitted from this criminal enterprise."
He added: "We were able to establish the assets that he had available and secure a confiscation order against him for that amount. If the amount is not paid within the three-month deadline, he faces an additional three years in prison, and the confiscation figure remains payable."
Matthews said the successful use of the proceeds of crime legislation should illustrate the continued commitment to making sure criminals not only lose their liberty but are also stripped of their ill-gotten gains.
