Briton stripped of ten million pounds by authorities

 

Hussain was a close associate of Bradford gangster Mohammed Nisar Khan, currently serving life in prison for murder, and his ties to organised crime included acts such as allowing convicted armed robber Dennis Slade to stay in his seven-bedroom house in Leeds rent-free. The NCA said Hussain also used threats of violence and blackmail to build his property empire.

 

Investigators from the NCA secured a UWO order allowing the agency to seize the vast majority of his assets, including properties in London, Cheshire and Leeds, four parcels of land and more than £500,000 in cash. Hussain challenged the UWO in court and submitted 127 lever arch files of evidence to explain where his money came from – a move that backfired as in doing so he inadvertently gave NCA investigators clues to make a bigger case against him. While unable to prosecute him for any criminal offence the NCA's civil case against him will see him lose the vast majority of his fortune.

 

Head of civil recovery at the NCA, Andy Lewis, said, "Mansoor Hussain thought he had hidden the criminality associated with the source of his property empire, but he didn't count on our tenacity. Far from taking his UWO response at face value, we studied what he had and hadn't divulged. We could then use that information to look far enough back to uncover the hidden skeletons in his financial closet. Ultimately, the wealth of evidence in this case has led to a settlement which not only meets our operational goals, but frees up our investigators and legal team to pursue other cases."

 

This is the first time a UWO has been obtained solely on an individual's alleged involvement in serious organised crime as well as the first time a UWO has been successfully secured against a Briton.

 

Graeme Biggar, from the NCA's National Economic Crime Centre, said, "This case is a milestone, demonstrating the power of Unexplained Wealth Orders, with significant implications for how we pursue illicit finance in the UK. This ground-breaking investigation has recovered millions of pounds worth of criminally obtained property. It is crucial for the economic health of local communities such as Leeds, and for the country as a whole, that we ensure property and other assets are held legitimately. I am determined to bring together all the resources of the public and private sector to protect the UK economy from the corrosive impact of illicit finance."

 

 

 

Broadgate Legal

London Solicitors