Former Met police officer jailed for helping gang seize criminal cash

14 May 2021, 15:46

An ex-police officer has been jailed for eight years for using his position to help an organised gang seize at least £850,000 from criminals.

Former Metropolitan police officer Kashif Mahmood, 32, of Woodcroft, in Harlow, Essex, dressed in his uniform and used police cars to travel to locations where the gang knew "significant quantities of criminal cash" would be exchanged, and took it himself while pretending to be doing his duties.

"His actions were a complete betrayal of public trust and confidence, and have no place in policing,” said director of major investigations at the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) Steve Noonan.

Mahmood, who wore a blue buttoned-up shirt and black face mask, did not react as the judge delivered his sentence, reduced from 12 years due to an early guilty plea.

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Mitigating, William Emlyn Jones told Southwark Crown Court on Thursday: "He accepts that this is no one's fault but his own.

“It is his own fault he has lost his good character and his hard-earned reputation."

Mr Emlyn Jones said Mahmood's remorse was "genuine", and added that he was "misled" about the extent of the gang's criminal activity and did not take a cut of the money seized.

He told the court Mahmood did not live a "lavish lifestyle", as suggested, and three of the four designer watches submitted as evidence were "cheap knock-offs".

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But Judge David Tomlinson said Mahmood "abused his position of power, trust and responsibility" and his actions were an "exploitation" of his policing colleagues.

"Mahmood may have been a police constable in name, but he was nothing more than a criminal who abused his position to look after the interests of organised crime,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bas Javid, Directorate of Professionalism.

"Fortunately cases as serious as Mahmood's are rare, but they highlight how crucial the work of our Anti-Corruption Command is."

Mahmood was sentenced alongside brothers Mohsin Khan, 36, and Shazad Khan, 33, both of Babbacombe Gardens, Ilford; Shabaz Khan, 33, of Barkingside, east London; Mohsin Khan's partner, Maria Shah, also of Ilford; and Ioan Gherghel, 34, of Keogh Road, Stratford.

Mohsin Khan was sentenced to 16 years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer criminal property, and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.

Shabaz Khan was jailed for 14 years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer criminal property, conspiracy to acquire criminal property, and possession of a controlled drug of class B with intent to supply.

Shazad Khan and Shah were sentenced to 15 years and five years and four months in jail respectively for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer criminal property, and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.

Gherghel was jailed six years for conspiracy to acquire criminal property.

All were banned from travelling outside of the UK for five years after their release.