Credit: This story was first seen on the Metro
A couple banked half a million pounds and spent thousands on long-haul holidays, cars and private schooling, despite claiming to be unemployed, the Metro reports.
Salina Sharif, 46, and Shiraz Amjad Sharif, 45, lived a ‘lavish lifestyle’ funded by money laundered from a drugs empire.
They were both found guilty of money laundering, but only Salina could be jailed as her husband fled to Pakistan leaving her to stand trial on her own.
Police raided their home in Manchester, in June 2014, and found £30,000 of 90% pure crystallised MDMA.
In an investigation, they found that the couple spent thousands of pounds including £100,000 to put their three children through private school.
Before he fled to Islamabad in May 2016, Shiraz was driving around in a top of the range Audi A6 and also spent thousands on luxuries as well as sending money transfers to family in Pakistan.
Between 2008 and July 2014, the couple deposited almost £500,000 cash into their bank accounts, despite claiming to be unemployed.
During this time, Salina claimed she was a student and accepted a £1,000 student loan and tax credits for their three children.
Detective constable Dave Berry said: “Having lead on this investigation since 2014 and seen first-hand the lifestyle the Sharif’s lived, I can honestly say it is staggering that they would have the audacity to live so lavishly yet think they wouldn’t get caught. They brazenly flaunted their riches despite claiming to be unemployed yet dropped their children off at an expensive private school in a £60,000 Range Rover.”
Salina was jailed for two and a half years, whilst Shiraz, who was convicted of possession with intent to supply class A drugs as well as money laundering, was sentenced to four and a half years in his absence.