HMRC Extradites Man for Money Laundering Offences

A Scottish man who was wanted in connection with a £11.6 million criminal money laundering scheme has been extradited back to Scotland from northern Cyprus, HMRC has reported.

The 46-year-old had been jailed for four years in 2004 for his involvement in a tax fraud in which he claimed back VAT on false Europe-wide business transactions.

A subsequent money laundering investigation was launched by HMRC. This revealed that the profit from that fraud had been deposited into bank accounts in Greece, Cyprus, Switzerland, USA, the British Virgin Islands and elsewhere in an attempt to conceal its criminal origins. The money was then transferred back into various bank accounts in the UK and invested in property and businesses in Scotland.

He appeared in court in 2012, where he pleaded guilty and was released on bail, but then moved to north Cyprus.

An international warrant was issued for his arrest, and he has now been returned to Scotland where he will appear in court for sentencing.

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