Chiswick Man Part Of Money Laundering Scam

Gang swindled a six figure sum from HMRC using fake catering company

A man from Chiswick was part of a gang which laundered a six figure sum using a fake catering company.

Abdul Mohamed, aged 30, laundered £240,974 in total along with his associates.

Mohamed had admitted money laundering during an appearance at Kingston Crown Court on 31 March 2017. He was sentenced this week (5 October) to six months in jail, suspended for 15 months and also 120 hours of unpaid work.

The mastermind behind the six-strong gang, 50-year-ol Michael Akindele of Carshalton, Surrey, was jailed for three and a half years.

Akindele set up the firm to fraudulently claim VAT payments and, with five others, laundered the money through their bank accounts.

But investigators from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) swooped after they found the gang had hijacked an innocent person’s identity to start the business. The fraud was uncovered by HMRC’s VAT repayment taskforce, set up to identify those who make fraudulent claims.

Investigators also found Akindele had set up other fake businesses including a newsagents, tobacconist and IT consultants as part of the fraud.

Brett Wilkinson, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC said, “This gang thought they were above the law and that they could get away with cheating the system. They were wrong and they are paying the price for their greed.

“Tax cheats take money from the public services we all rely on. Anyone with information about tax fraud can contact our hotline on 0800 788 887.”

Akindele, a director of TGL Logistics, based in Mitcham, Surrey admitted money laundering and cheating the public revenue and was sentenced to three and a half years in jail.

Four others, who pleaded guilty, were alongside them in the dock: Akindele’s wife Abimbola an accountant, 44; Sunday Adejobi, 36, of Finsbury Park, North London; Abiodun Gbadamosi, 42, of South Ockenden, Essex; and Kayode Sangosanya, 45, of Shepherd’s Bush. They all admitted money laundering and were each sentenced to three months in jail, suspended for 12 months, and 100 hours of unpaid work.

October 5, 2017