Convicted money launderer ordered to pay £3 million-plus Confiscation Order

Alfalasi, aged 48, arranged the transport of an estimated £93 million-£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 on 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 pleading guilty to removing criminal property from England and Wales.

The Crown Prosecution Service’s (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 presiding Judge issued a Confiscation Order of £3,496,778, which Alfalasi will need to pay within three months. Otherwise, he will receive a default additional prison sentence of ten years.

No profit from offending

Adrian Foster, chief crown prosecutor at the CPS, said: “We’ve 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.”

Foster added: “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 addition, Foster noted: “In the five years covering 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. £105 million of that amount has been returned to the victims of crime by way of compensation.”

National Crime Agency 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, in turn denying them the profit of their crimes.”

Truby concluded: “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.”