A convicted money launderer responsible for transporting illegal money to Dubai has been ordered to pay £3,496,778 through a Confiscation Order made by the court on 19 March 2024.
Abdulla Mohammad Ali Bin Beyat Alfalasi, 48, arranged the transport of an estimated £93-£110 million in illegally obtained cash to Dubai, by carrying (and arranging for others to carry) suitcases packed with around £500,000 of illegal cash onto business class flights.
Alfalasi was the ringleader in this sophisticated money laundering operation, which also involved several co-defendants. He was sentenced to nine years and seven months’ imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court on 28 July 2022 after he pleaded guilty to removing criminal property from England and Wales.
The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division commenced confiscation proceedings to recover the criminal proceeds working closely with the National Crime Agency. The assets Alfalasi had available for confiscation were determined by examining his various bank accounts and valuable possessions, including interests in property in Dubai, monies in bank and crypto accounts, his watches, and several vehicles.
At Isleworth Crown Court, the judge issued a Confiscation Order of £3,496,778, which Alfalasi will need to pay within three months, or he will receive a default additional prison sentence of 10 years.
Adrian Foster, CPS Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: “We have worked hard to obtain a Confiscation Order, which covers all of Alfalasi’s current available assets, to ensure that he does not financially benefit from this crime in what was one of the largest money laundering operations ever run from the UK.
“Should we subsequently discover any new assets belonging to him, then we will take him back to court until he has repaid his full criminal benefit.
“In the last five years, 2018 to 2023, over £480 million has been recovered from CPS obtained Confiscation Orders, ensuring that thousands of convicted criminals cannot profit from their offending. £105m of that amount has been returned to victims of crime, by way of compensation.”
NCA senior investigating officer Ian Truby said: “This is a fantastic result and shows the extent of the tools at our disposal to pursue serious and organised criminals, denying them the profit of their crimes.
“Alfalasi oversaw a criminal network of cash couriers who moved dirty money, the lifeblood of organised crime groups, out of the UK at an unprecedented scale.
“He now has a clear choice; to pay the money he owes or face more jail time.”
Read more about how we prosecuted this case.
Notes to editors
• Adrian Foster is a Chief Crown Prosecutor within the Proceeds of Crime Division of the CPS Serious Economic Organised and International Directorate (SEOCID)
• Abdulla Mohammad Ali Bin Beyat Alfalasi (DOB 7 July 1975) pleaded guilty to removing criminal property from England and Wales contrary to section 327(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act on 27 June 2022 and was sentenced to nine years and seven months in prison on 28 July 2022 at Isleworth Crown Court.
• Where a defendant refuses to pay their Confiscation Order in a timely way, CPS Proceeds of Crime Division can invite the court to impose an additional default sentence on them of up to 14 years’ imprisonment. The full debt continues to be in force until it is paid, and interest is accrued.
• Where they are found to have additional available assets in the future, the CPS may ask the court to revisit the order and make an additional Confiscation Order up to the value of their full criminal benefit.
• Listen to the NCA’s podcast series ‘Underworld: Behind the Scenes of the NCA. Episode 5 – Sunshine and Lollipops, tells the story of the investigation into Abdullah Alfalasi and his £104m money laundering network.
