Family of ‘The General’ ordered to pay back £13million

Jailed tax fraudster Mohammed Suleman Khan (pictured) hid his wealth in the UK while building an estate in Pakistan modelled on Buckingham Palace

The brother and entourage of a notorious fraudster dubbed ‘the General’ have been ordered to pay back £13million gained from a mortgage scam or face more jail time.

Jailed Mohammed Suleman Khan hid his wealth in the UK while building an estate in Pakistan modelled on Buckingham Palace. 

The businessman avoided paying tax and national insurance for a decade. 

Two of his brothers, a sister-in-law and two other associates were jailed after using forged financial documents to obtain mortgages for properties they then rented, allowing them to earn huge amounts of money.

Now following an investigation by the Royal Asset Recovery Team, a court has ordered one of his brothers, Shokut Zuman, and two of his entourage, Arshid Khan and Mohammed Mughal, to pay back £13m.

Khan built himself a vast estate in Pakistan

Khan built himself a vast estate in Pakistan inspired by Buckingham Palace (pictured)

Khan built himself a vast estate in Pakistan, left, inspired by Buckingham Palace, right

Birmingham Crown Court heard the gang – which also included Khan’s brother Shahalam Khan and Zuman’s wife Samiah Hanna – built up a valuable property portfolio by ‘taking advantage of a buoyant property market’ between 2003 and 2010.

They made false declarations to obtain mortgages that they otherwise would have been refused.

Khan's brother Shokut Zuman has been ordered to pay back money gained from a mortgage scam or face more time behind bars

Khan’s brother Shokut Zuman has been ordered to pay back money gained from a mortgage scam or face more time behind bars

Cheat spent tax on home the size of Buckingham Palace

Mohammed Suleman Khan was originally sentenced to four years in April 2013 after defrauding the taxman of £450,000 in an unrelated case.

His nine-year scam was exposed after police raided his Moseley home and discovered plans for his own ‘Buckingham Palace’ in Pakistan, complete with a library, cinema and servant quarters.

Khan, 45, later faced a proceeds of crime hearing but was hit with an extra ten-year sentence after failing to pay £2,209,090. 

Shahalam Khan, 47, received a five-year term after also being convicted of benefit fraud while Zuman, 43, received a four-and-half-year sentence and Hanna, 46, received a two-year suspended sentence.

Arshid Khan, 47, was jailed for five years while Mughal, 67, was jailed for four and a half years.

The gang used forged financial documents to obtain mortgages on 21 properties in the Bournville, Selly Oak and Moseley areas. 

The houses were renovated then rented, mainly to students, allowing the gang to earn huge amounts in rent.

At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on January 4, Arshid Khan was ordered to repay £8,010,881 within three months or face a further 10 years in jail.

Mohammed Mughal, 67, was ordered to hand over £1,385,775 within three months or face an extra seven years in prison.

Shahalam Khan, 47, received a five-year term after also being convicted of benefit fraud

Mohammed Mughal, 67, (left) was ordered to hand over £1,385,775 within three months or face an extra seven years in prison. Shahalam Khan, 47, (right) received a five-year term after also being convicted of benefit fraud

Mohammed Suleman Khan’s brother Zuman was told to repay £4,058,852 within three months or face another nine years behind bars while Mughal, 67, was ordered to hand over £1,385,775 within three months or face an extra seven years in prison.

Detective Inspector Jonathan Jones, head of the Regional Asset Recovery Team, said: ‘The trio were ordered to pay back more than £13million.

‘This represents one of the team’s best ever confiscation results and the conclusion of almost seven years hard work.

‘Whilst a significant element of this represents hidden assets, we still expect to enforce the sale of a large number of properties restrained in the UK and raise around £4.5 million.

‘Additionally, lengthy sentences were imposed on Khan, Zuman and Mughal, which will further persuade them to pay up any hidden assets.

‘This has been a hard-fought Operation which has ended with a spectacular result.’



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