The fellow accountant of a drug dealer who “turned a blind eye” and paid the price

A Leeds accountant who laundered money for a convicted drug dealer has been jailed for two years after a judge said he brought his profession into disrepute.

In 2016 Kane Dacosta, 24, from Leeds, was jailed for his role in a conspiracy to supply cocaine. While still serving his prison sentence, Bilal Farooq became involved in laundering some of his drug money.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday (Thursday June 27) how Farooq, 34, even helped Dacosta buy a £36,000 Mercedes for the criminal to use after he was released in July 2020 .

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The court heard Dacosta regularly used a mobile phone while in custody and Farooq’s number was switched to ‘accountant’. In September 2020, the Mercedes was impounded by the police and after Dacosta asked for Farooq’s help, the defendant himself contacted the police claiming to be the owner of the vehicle and trying to release it.

Farooq, of Westwinn View, Whinmoor, Leeds, also allowed money to be transferred into his personal and savings accounts as well as other companies he set up. Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told Farooq: “It appears that there was an agreement between you and Dacosta for you to launder his drug-trafficking proceeds. Apart from his income from drug trafficking, Dacosta had no other income”.

In total, Farooq was said to have been involved in laundering around £190,000 and pleaded guilty to three counts of converting criminal property on the day of his trial last month. Today (Friday June 28) Judge Khokhar said Farooq, who had no previous convictions, must have worked hard to qualify as an accountant but let it all go to waste as a result of his “unwise and unprofessional”.

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The judge told Farooq that he had brought his profession into disrepute and that the offense was not an isolated incident. He said the activity ran over a 12-month period and involved a number of transactions.

Justice Khokhar noted that just a day before the sentencing hearing, Farooq had sent a letter apologizing for his behaviour.

“Even after the Mercedes was impounded, being a professional accountant will not prevent you from making representations on Dacosta’s behalf for the release of the vehicle,” the judge said.

Barrister Derek Duffy, for Farooq, said his client had agreed to “turn a blind eye” to where the money was coming from and claimed he was afraid of Dacosta. Farooq had said Dacosta knew personal details about him and it was either “do something” or live in fear for the rest of his life. Farooq was sentenced to two years in prison.

Detective Chief Inspector Sam Freeman of West Yorkshire Police said: “Farooq was a key figure in hiding criminal property and I am pleased he has been jailed for his crime. Money laundering is not a victimless crime – it facilitates the drug trade and wider organized crime which wreaks havoc on communities across West Yorkshire.

“West Yorkshire Police’s Precision Program is dedicated to tackling the activities of serious organized criminals. We are committed to protecting our communities and will use all tactics necessary to target organized criminal groups and those involved in corruption, fraud and money laundering.”

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