Blackburn men jailed for £4.5m VAT fraud
THREE Blackburn men have been jailed for evading more than £4.5m in VAT due in platinum trading, while a fourth man from Altrincham, also found guilty, is on the run.
The men were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court following investigations by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) that identified three North West-based companies importing platinum ingots from Italy and selling them on without paying VAT.
Shabir Karim, 41, a director of Bullion Traders, orchestrated the trading.
He was assisted by accomplices Kamran Bhatti, 41, the director of KB Jewellers, who was also linked to RBA Trading and Regal Metals; and his brother Imran, 38, the director of Regal Metals.
A fourth man, Raymond Bowden, 69, of Barrington Road, Altrincham absconded during the trial.
The director of RBA Trading, he was often a courier for the shipments, collecting the imports at UK airports. Mr Bowden was found guilty in his absence and a bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The men, who were all found guilty of cheating the revenue, will be disqualified as directors and subject to crime prevention orders upon release. They also face proceeds of crime assessments.
Alan Lee, HMRC director of criminal investigation said: “HMRC officers identified suspicious trading between several North West companies in 2006 and 2007. Their customers were paying VAT on items they bought but the metal traders were not declaring it. They simply pocketed the cash for their own personal gain.
“Tax fraud and attempts to launder the proceeds of crime are treated extremely seriously by HMRC, and we will relentlessly pursue any individuals or crime gangs believed to be attacking the Public Revenue in this way.”
