Corrupt former police officer jailed for abusing position and helping gang seize ‘criminal cash’

The criminal enterprise has been compared to a storyline out of BBC’s Line of Duty
Kashif Mahmood
Metropolitan Police

A former Metropolitan Police officer who abused his position to help an organised criminal gang seize hundred and thousands of pounds from other criminals has been jailed for eight years.

Corrupt Kashif Mahmood, 32, of Woodcroft, in Harlow Essex, while working for the police, dressed in his uniform and used marked and unmarked police cars to travel to locations where he was informed that “significant quantities of criminal cash” would be exchanged.

He took the money for himself while pretending to be doing his duties.

Judge David Tomlinson said Mahmood “abused his position of power, trust and responsibility” and his actions were an “exploitation” of his policing colleagues.

Mahmood, who wore a blue buttoned-up shirt and black face mask, did not react as the judge delivered his sentence, reduced from 12 years due to an early guilty plea.

The court heard he was a member of a “highly lucrative” operation which seized at least £850,000 from criminal couriers under the pretence of a “lawful exercise of his powers”.

The punishment he has brought upon himself is substantial. It seems that in the end his background has caught up with him

William Emlyn Jones

He was sentenced after admitting conspiracy to acquire criminal property and misconduct in public office, although he did not receive any additional jail time for the latter charge.

Judge Tomlinson said the group put criminal couriers in harm’s way, as they would not have been able to explain to their bosses how the money had been seized.

The incident has also been compared to a storyline out of BBC’s Line of Duty.

Mitigating, William Emlyn Jones told Southwark Crown Court on Thursday: “He accepts that this is no one’s fault but his own. It is his own fault he has lost his good character and his hard-earned reputation.”

He said Mahmood, who was sacked by the Met, achieved his “boyhood dream” of becoming a police officer at the age of 21, despite having a “challenging” childhood during which he was stabbed when he refused to join a neighbourhood gang.

Metropolitan Police

“The punishment he has brought upon himself is substantial. It seems that in the end his background has caught up with him.

“He thought he had escaped but it called him back in.”

Mr Emlyn Jones said Mahmood’s remorse was “genuine”, and added that he was “misled” about the extent of the gang’s criminal activity and did not take a cut of the money seized.

He told the court Mahmood did not live a “lavish lifestyle”, as suggested, and three of the four designer watches submitted as evidence were “cheap knock-offs”.

He was sentenced alongside brothers Mohsin Khan, 36, and Shazad Khan, 33, of, Ilford; Shabaz Khan, 33, of Barkingside, east London; Mohsin Khan’s partner, Maria Shah, also of Ilford; and Ioan Gherghel, 34, of Stratford.

Mohsin Khan was sentenced to 16 years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.

Photo of box of cash seized at home of Ioan Gherghel
Metropolitan Police

Shabaz Khan was jailed for 14 years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer criminal property, conspiracy to acquire criminal property and possession of a controlled drug of class B with intent to supply.

Shazad Khan and Shah were sentenced to 15 years and five years and four months in jail respectively for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.

Gherghel was jailed six years for conspiracy to acquire criminal property.

All were banned from travelling outside of the UK for five years after their release.

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