Arif Patel and 23 members of his criminal empirehave been convicted of fraud worth some 150 million.<\/p>\n
Patel, 55, used the proceeds to buy property across Preston and London including a five-storey terrace on Pilgrims Lane in Hampstead.<\/p>\n
The property once belonged to Edwardian painter Sir William Nicholson and has a blue plaque signifying that he lived therebetween 1904 and 1906.<\/p>\n
The neighbourhood is one of the most exclusive in the entire country, with Harry Styles and Benedict Cumberbatch living nearby.<\/p>\n
Former residents of Pilgrims Lane also include ex-Labour leader Michael Foot and cellist Jaqueline du Pr.<\/p>\n
Patel and his gang tried to steal 97 million through VAT repayment claims on false exports of textiles and mobile phones.<\/p>\n
They also imported and sold fake designer clothes that would have been worth at least 50 million if they were genuine.<\/p>\n
On April 11 Patel was found guilty of false accounting, conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, the onward sale of counterfeit clothing and money laundering.<\/p>\n
He was convicted in his absence as he remained in Dubai throughout his trial, after he travelled there in July 2011 and never returned.<\/p>\n
Mohamed Jaffar Ali, 58, from Dubai, was also found guilty of conspiracy to cheat the Revenue and money laundering.<\/p>\n
HMRC has recovered more than 78 million of the gangs UK assets and signalled their intention to recover more proceeds of their crimes.<\/p>\n
Richard Las, director of the Fraud Investigation Service atHMRC, said: These guilty verdicts close a significant chapter in one of the biggest tax fraud cases ever investigated by HMRC.<\/p>\n
For more than a decade HMRC and our partners have worked tirelessly and together to bring this gang to justice.<\/p>\n
Arif Patel lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the law-abiding majority. Tax crime is not victimless and fraudsters like this pair steal the money that funds the NHS and other vital public services we all rely on.<\/p>\n
Our work doesnt stop here. We have more than 78 million of the gangs UK assets restrained and have begun the process to recover all those proceeds of crime.<\/p>\n
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Designer clothing fraudster bought historic Hampstead house - This is Local London<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Arif Patel and 23 members of his criminal empirehave been convicted of fraud worth some 150 million. Patel, 55, used the proceeds to buy property across Preston and London including a five-storey terrace on Pilgrims Lane in Hampstead. The property once belonged to Edwardian painter Sir William Nicholson and has a blue plaque signifying that he lived therebetween 1904 and 1906 Continue reading