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Almost 150 kilos of smuggled gold jewellery, estimated to be worth more than £2.5m, is set to be sold at auction in Belfast this week.
The gold was seized during an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into a £9m smuggling plot that saw the gang’s leader, Chaudry Ali of Middlesex, jailed for nine years in 2012.
Ali was ordered to pay back £4.3m of his criminal profits or serve an extra 10 years in prison, when he appeared at Kingston Crown Court in November 2014.
The gold, which will be auctioned on October 30 at Wilsons Auctions in Belfast, includes Asian gold bracelets, necklaces, rings, a statue and gold bars. Guide prices range from £200 to £5,000 per lot.
Kevin Newe, assistant director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Our work doesn’t stop when a criminal is sentenced; we always look to reclaim their illegal profits for the nation’s finances to fund the public services used by everyone.
“By auctioning the gold we seized during the investigation we are moving another step closer to bringing this long and complicated case to a conclusion and ensure justice is fully served.”
Aidan Larkin, asset recovery department manager for Wilsons Auctions, said:“We are delighted to be entrusted with the sale of the gold on HMRC’s behalf after such a successful investigation and playing our part in realising the assets so money can go back into the public purse.”
