Two “devious” VAT fraudsters have had their £1 million home in Northwood sold by the taxman.
HMRC has sold five properties belonging to Syed Ahmed and Shakeel Ahmad, both 51, who were jailed in 2007 for their part in a £12.6 million VAT fraud.
The duo were jointly ordered by a judge to repay £16.1 million but they refused, resulting in an extra ten years in prison.
Despite their extended sentences, the money is still owed - which forced HMRC to track down the pair’s hidden assets.
Most recently Ahmed and Ahmad had a luxury house in Buckinghamshire that had been obscured through an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands seized.
HMRC sold the home for £2.1 million at auction, more than double its guide price.
The country house boasts two kitchens, five reception rooms, five bedrooms and a sauna, and is set in 1.65 acres of English countryside.
Nicol Sheppard at HMRC said: “This house sale is a great result for taxpayers and it shows our work does not stop with a prison sentence. It is our job to make sure taxpayers get their money back.
“We’ve recovered more than £10 million from these two men, and we’ll carry on looking for more assets. Any we find will be sold to recover the money they stole with interest.
“Anyone with information about suspected tax fraud can report it to HMRC online.”
In total, 21 individuals from the same organised crime gang as Ahmed and Ahmad have received prison sentences totalling 74 years for their role in the fraud.
During sentencing in 2007, the judge described the duo as “devious” and “complete liars” and said they had created a "smokescreen" to hide the value of their assets and conceal them from HMRC.
The three other properties sold by HMRC are:
- A flat worth £420,000 in Battersea Reach
- A house in Langley worth £660,000
- A flat in Knightsbridge worth £3,450,000.
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