A money launderer who bought two luxury Dubai apartments from his prison cell in the north of England is among dozens of British criminals found to have secretly invested millions of pounds in the Gulf state.
A Times investigation has discovered more than £200 million of property in Dubai that has been bought by criminals convicted in British courts and people who have failed to pay debts in the UK.
In some cases the British authorities appear to have failed to find these properties when trying to track down criminals’ assets.
Those who have invested in Dubai property in recent years include a fraudster from Essex who conned elderly victims out of their life savings in a cold-calling scam and criminals linked to a gang who stole £12 million from the NHS and other UK public bodies.
Another British criminal, Abid Hussain, was able to buy £1.6 million of property in Dubai in the months after he was jailed in 2013 for laundering the proceeds of drug deals, records show.
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After his trial, the National Crime Agency (NCA) sought to seize his assets and the court issued a confiscation order for £313,000, which he repaid.
Property data seen by The Times shows that this was a fraction of his wealth and he had bought two of his apartments in Dubai, worth £1.1 million, while serving his sentence at Wealstun prison in West Yorkshire.
The government is now facing calls to investigate why the authorities might have failed to find criminals’ assets abroad.
Emily Thornberry, the shadow attorney-general, said there must be “an urgent review of the loopholes in the system”, adding: “The idea that a convicted criminal can do these kinds of property deals from jail makes a farce of the asset recovery regime, and we must see urgent action from the government in response.”
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The findings come from a leak of data from Dubai, including detailed property ownership, transaction and rental records.
The data has been extensively analysed by The Times and other international media outlets in 58 countries after reporters were given access to it by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a network of journalists, and the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, a non-profit group researching security issues.
Fifty-seven criminals, either convicted British nationals or foreign nationals convicted in the UK, and 105 British or British-linked bankrupts, disqualified directors, tax cheats and people under investigation were identified as having bought property in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The data does not contain details about the source of the money used to buy property, and the properties may have been bought with legitimate funds.
Dubai is attractive to investors who do not want to face public scrutiny for many reasons, including those with high profiles and net worth who do not want details about their private homes publicised.
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Police forces and investigators at the NCA have powers to seek to seize the proceeds of crime through the courts. In light of the findings, the police said they were investigating and potentially attempting to recover more money from criminals.
Successive British governments have pledged to work more closely with the authorities in the UAE to tackle “global challenges” including how to ensure robust checks on the flow of money across borders.
In September 2021 Boris Johnson, then the prime minister, announced the latest of these agreements after a meeting in London with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then crown prince and now the ruler of Abu Dhabi.
The NCA said that in the cases on which it led, its investigators had been aware of all properties owned by criminals in Dubai where they were relevant to confiscation proceedings, and that these were factored into attempts to recover money. It said that confiscation orders could be satisfied by any of the subject’s assets so those who pay could be left with other properties.
It said that in the case of Hussain, the confiscation order matched the amount he was deemed to have made personally from his crimes, and that law enforcement had no charge over assets not associated with the proceeds of crime.
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A spokesman said the agency had a “positive relationship with many international partners” who helped investigators track down criminals’ assets and that co-operation with the UAE had improved in recent years and was better than with some other countries. He added: “We recognise there is more to be done together and continue to enhance efforts to combat the illicit finance threat that harms both our countries.”
The Dubai land registry has been notorious for its secrecy. Although the emirate has in recent years taken steps towards greater transparency, it is still not possible to find out who owns a property by searching for an address alone.
A UAE official said the country “takes its role in protecting the integrity of the global financial system extremely seriously”. The spokesman said that in its continuing pursuit of global criminals, the UAE worked closely with international partners, adding: “In February, the Financial Action Task Force, the global standard-setter for measures to fight money laundering, praised the UAE’s significant progress.”
Fraudster targeted the elderly
The Dubai property data has been shared with The Times by a global network of investigative journalists who specialise in uncovering corruption and organised crime. The records include detailed information about Dubai property ownership, related transactions and rental income.
Reporters have done extensive work to corroborate the information and matched details with other publicly available information, including Interpol notices, criminal conviction records, sanctions lists, corporate misconduct data and due diligence screening records.
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Those found to own property in Dubai include hundreds of criminals, as well as fugitives, tax cheats and people who are subject to sanctions in the UK and other countries. Many of them are British or have strong links to the UK.
Sami Raja, a conman from Grays, Essex, who has used Instagram to flaunt his wealth, is among the convicted criminals who own property in Dubai.
In 2019 Raja was convicted of six counts of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering. Along with four others, he had used a cold-calling scam to trick 130 victims into buying fake carbon credits, making the gang £2.4 million in fraudulent profits.
Southwark crown court was told how they targeted the over-50s in affluent areas. His victims included an 89-year-old British man who lost £250,000 to Raja and his accomplices.
Raja was first arrested in 2013 but the complex investigation took years to get to court. He pleaded not guilty in February 2017 and then absconded to Dubai in December that year, a fortnight before his trial was due to start.
Raja, now 37, posted pictures on social media as he enjoyed the high life in Dubai and at a resort in the Maldives, posing with designer goods including a Rolex and an Aston Martin.
In January 2019 he was convicted in his absence and sentenced to eight years in prison. He was captured while on a holiday in Greece in July 2020 and extradited back to the UK to serve his sentence. He was also ordered to pay back £332,000 to his victims.
The UAE property data shows that Raja was able to buy two properties in Dubai Marina and Creek Harbour in 2016 and 2017, after his initial arrest. These were sold in December 2022 for about £650,000, twice the sum he had been ordered to repay. The Times does not know the source of the funds used to buy these properties.
City of London police said it was aware of the properties in Dubai. It said Raja had paid the total in the confiscation order and that all money recovered was distributed between the victims. The force said its inquiries were continuing.
Raja is imprisoned at Brixton prison, a category C jail in south London, and is due to be released on parole this year. He was approached for comment.
Criminal linked to 11 properties in Dubai
The UAE, an autocratic monarchy, has historically been funded by the proceeds of its oil trade, but has been attempting to diversify its economy by encouraging foreign investment in property.
Imtiaz Khoda is one of the British criminals who has been able to invest in Dubai.
Khoda, now 51, was part of a gang who swindled more than £12 million from the NHS, local governments and social housing providers.
Property records show that he had bought or put down payments on 11 properties in Dubai while he claimed in a British court that he could not repay in full the money he had made from his crimes.
Khoda and his associates forged letters, faxes and emails to masquerade as a legitimate building and development firm and divert payments from various public bodies to themselves.
The gang were caught after an NHS trust in Lincolnshire spotted that a £1.28 million payment to build a mental health and rehabilitation unit went missing in 2011.
Khoda admitted to a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of criminal conduct at Leicester crown court in 2016 and was jailed the following year for four and a half years.
After his conviction, in April 2019, he was given three months to repay just over £4 million.
By August 2019, Khoda had paid back only £212,217 and he applied to the court for more time. The application was rejected and, given he had not paid, almost ten years of jail time was added to his sentence.
Khoda has since been released without paying the majority of the money back. Police said that last year he succeeded at court in getting a “significant reduction” in the amount owed as “it was agreed that an asset was no longer available”.
The data obtained by The Times suggests that at the time he made the first request for leniency in 2019, Khoda had bought or put down payments on 11 properties in Dubai worth about £3.6 million.
At least five of these properties, worth about £420,000 in total, have since been sold.
One of Khoda’s co-accused, Tariq Saeed Khan, 41, from Ilford, east London, was also listed as an interest in six properties worth £3.2 million in Dubai as of 2022.
Khan was acquitted of money laundering at the trial but was jailed for eight months and ordered to repay £20,000 to the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust after he admitted perverting the course of justice by supplying false documents to police.
Documents show he still owns at least two of these properties. The Times does not know the source of the funds that financed Khoda and Khan’s investments.
Lincolnshire police said they would welcome any evidence that could help with Khoda’s case. The force said a court had determined that Khoda’s benefit from his offending was equivalent to about £8.7 million but the confiscation order was for just over £4 million as this was the value of his assets that could be identified and were available to be repaid at the time.
Detective Sergeant Mike Billiam, of the force’s economic crime unit, said: “In cases where a benefit is still outstanding, Lincolnshire police will not close a case. If new information comes to light regarding assets that could be used to satisfy an order, we will act upon it.”
Khoda and Khan were approached for comment.
Convict bought Dubai apartments from his jail cell
Abid Hussain’s conviction for money laundering in June 2013 was a dramatic fall from grace for the politically connected businessman from Leeds.
At his trial, he received a character reference from his local Labour MP, Fabian Hamilton, who described him as a “moral” and “very honest person” who had done charity work. Three years earlier, Hamilton had invited Hussain to Downing Street to meet Gordon Brown, then the prime minister.
Hussain was jailed for two years for laundering the proceeds of drug deals through the bank accounts of unwitting members of the public. He was part of a gang who laundered £19 million for foreign criminals.
UAE property documents show that in September 2013, while Hussain was serving his sentence at Wealstun prison, a category C jail near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, he bought two luxury properties in Dubai, worth £1.1 million. The apartments are in the Standpoint complex, close to the Burj Khalifa.
Hussain then bought a third apartment in the same development shortly after his release from jail in January 2014, bringing the value of his portfolio to £1.7 million. The information available to The Times does not include any details on the source of the funds used.
Hussain, now 56, has since earned a further £381,000 in rental income from the apartments, according to the property records. He appears to still own the three properties in Dubai.
In 2016 the NCA obtained a confiscation order against Hussain for £313,000, as this was deemed to match the amount of money he had made from his criminal activity. Hussain paid it in full.
A representative for Hussain said that he had “no knowledge of any such allegations or investigation whatsoever” and that he did not own the properties mentioned in the UAE.
Hamilton said he had not had any contact with Hussain for more than ten years and that at the time of his statement to the court he “believed he was a genuine community activist”. Referring to the Downing Street tour, he said: “With hindsight, the decision to invite Mr Hussain was regrettable.”
The NCA said law enforcement had no charge over assets not associated with criminality or profits of criminality.
The Ministry of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.
Jewel thief vanished owing £1m
Mohammed Suleman Tahir, a diamond thief who defrauded companies out of goods worth £800,000, was sentenced to three years in jail in January 2006 but escaped in December that year after attending a hospital appointment.
Four years after going on the run from Sudbury prison, a category D jail in Derbyshire, documents show that he bought a flat in Dubai for about £200,000, which he still appears to own.
Tahir pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the creditors of the perfume sellers Scents and Sensuality Ltd after the business closed owing suppliers for fragrances and two shipments of diamonds.
He was jailed and ordered to pay back £1 million but has not been seen since his escape. Greater Manchester police said they had previously seized assets from him and would now investigate if more recoveries could be made.
‘Zero questions’ on source of funds
This year the Financial Action Task Force, an international organisation that monitors the enforcement of money-laundering regulations, removed the UAE from its “grey list”.
The UAE had been on the list since 2022 because the watchdog deemed it to have deficiencies in the way it dealt with the flow of money into the country.
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Although the country has made some significant improvements to the way it tackles financial crime, the Dubai property register suggests criminal money could still get in far too easily.
SVT, the Swedish national broadcaster, which has also been given access to the Dubai property register, said its reporter approached an estate agent working for one of the UAE’s largest developers.
The agent allegedly said he was happy to accept “bags of cash” equivalent to £21 million for a property purchase and that he would ask “zero questions” about the source of funds.
The apparent ease with which buyers can invest in Dubai property and protect their identities makes it an attractive jurisdiction for investors with legitimate funds who want to avoid public scrutiny for other reasons. This includes those with high profiles and net worth who do not want their investments publicised for privacy reasons.
The same ease of investment also means that it is attractive to investors who would struggle to satisfy money laundering checks in more stringent jurisdictions and this presents issues for national enforcement bodies.
Although in recent years Dubai’s property register has become publicly searchable, in reality this is possible only for those with very specific information about the transactions, such as lawyers. It is still not possible to find the owner of a property by searching the Dubai registry with an address alone.
Other convicted criminals found by The Times to have bought property in Dubai include Munir Akhtar, of Cantley, South Yorkshire, who was found guilty in 2010 of seven fraud offences in relation to false mortgage applications and sentenced to two years in prison.
Despite evidence that Akhtar made £1.8 million from the fraud, in 2011 a court agreed a confiscation order of only £61,000, based on assets that had been found. The Times understands he paid this in full.
The UAE records show that by 2013 Akhtar bought a three-bedroom apartment on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah for £250,000 and that he has since earned a further £220,000 letting it out.
After being told by reporters about the property in Dubai, South Yorkshire police are understood to have made a new referral to their regional asset recovery team to see if they could recover more money from Akhtar.
Akhtar was approached for comment. The source of funds used to buy the property in Dubai is unknown.
Bashar Al-Safee, a cocaine trafficker, attempted to smuggle £32 million of the drug into the UK with an accomplice in June 2016. The cocaine was hidden inside root vegetables from Costa Rica, transported by a company called Fruity Fresh.
Al-Safee, now 34, was sentenced to 21 years in prison in 2021. The Dubai data shows that he bought land in the Jebel Ali district of Dubai worth £360,000 in July 2016, shortly after his arrest.
He is serving his sentence at Highpoint prison, a category C jail near Newmarket, Suffolk.
The NCA said his case remained a live investigation, and his confiscation order had yet to be considered by the court. Al-Safee’s lawyer was approached for comment.
Home Office cannot confirm if money was repaid
Khadam Hussain, a former Tory councillor, was jailed for nine years in 2014 for a sophisticated fraud against the Home Office involving about 100 immigration cases.
The fraud overseen by Hussain involved submitting application sponsor visas supported by a range of fake documents from solicitors, estate agents and potential employers.
In 2018, the businessman and former Bradford city politician was ordered to pay back £1 million under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
He claimed he had earned only £60,000 from the scam but the confiscation order stated that he had assets in Britain and Dubai.
Dubai property records reveal that Hussain and his wife, Zahida, bought properties worth £1 million in Dubai, mostly between May and July 2009. The family still own at least four of the properties. The source of the funds used to buy the properties is unknown.
The Home Office could not confirm whether Hussain had paid any of the money back, saying that it did not have this information on record given how much time has passed. Hussain was approached for comment.
The records also show that present property owners in Dubai include a money launderer from east London who was jailed in 2016 for five and a half years.
Kathryn Westmore, senior research fellow at the Centre for Finance and Security at the Royal United Service Institute, said failures by the Dubai authorities to properly check who was buying property amounted to “a significant threat to the UK’s national security”.
She said: “It remains to be seen whether the UAE has really cleaned up its act or if authorities will continue to allow the real estate sector to facilitate money laundering.”
An NCA spokesman said: “Asset recovery involving international partners can be a complex process, not least because of differing legal regimes for such recovery and the need to develop intelligence and evidential cases across different jurisdictions.”
The agency said confiscation orders were for sums of money, not for specific assets, and if criminals can settle the orders with other funds, they did not need to turn over property.
It also said that although the British authorities had powers to seize property believed to be from the proceeds of crime at a civil standard of proof, these were not recognised by the UAE.
HM Revenue & Customs said it had secured more than £1.2 billion in criminal assets since the launch of its fraud investigation service in 2016. A spokesman said: “All law enforcement agencies face challenges when seizing assets abroad but we continue to seize assets where international treaties are in place and the legal requirements are met.”
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