Leicestershire Police launched an investigation in 2009 after identifying suspicious payments through a money service business called ‘Route of Asia’. The business owner, Salim Miah, was suspected of operating a large-scale money laundering scheme that moved cash out of the UK.
Officers traced nearly £420,000 from a mortgage fraud into the Route of Asia account. In 2009, Miah used almost £300,000 of these illicit funds to purchase the Warwick Arms restaurant in Loughborough. He sold the restaurant five years later and used the proceeds to acquire another four properties valued at approximately £1.08 million. It is believed that around £650,000 of the total property value originated from the mortgage fraud.
The Financial Services Authority (now the Financial Conduct Authority) refused official authorisation to the Route of Asia business in 2013, resulting in its closure. On 4 March 2022, a £500,000 civil recovery order was agreed following discussions between the National Crime Agency (NCA), Salim Miah, his wife Milan Begum, and associate Joshim Uddin, who jointly owned some of the properties. The order includes a rental property, a plot of land, and a cash payment of £32,500.
Andy Lewis, Head of Civil Recovery at the NCA, stated: “Money laundering fuels organised crime. Businesses like Money Service Businesses are often exploited to ‘clean’ criminal cash. The NCA uses civil recovery orders so those who profit from crime can’t keep illicit wealth. These assets will be sold, with proceeds helping to fight further crime.”
Rachael Herbert, Head of Threat Response for Money Laundering at the National Economic Crime Centre, added: “The NECC targets the wealth of organised criminals using both criminal and civil powers. This case highlights the power of civil tools that don’t rely on convictions to strip criminals of their ill-gotten gains.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
