Firm boss in Mansfield laundered more than £1m in romance fraud

The boss of a former textile firm has been jailed for laundering more than £1m from a sophisticated romance fraud operation.

Ahmed Ali Suleman’s seemingly legitimate business – Savanna Rags, which was based in Mansfield in Nottinghamshire – collected second-hand clothing for export to West Africa.

However, the company also served as a front to process fraudulent funds, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

The 63-year-old, of Chatsworth Drive in Mansfield, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison at Birmingham Crown Court on 23 June.

Between January 2015 and November 2017, Suleman exploited his position within the textile industry to launder money for international fraudsters.

Suleman, who was prosecuted following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA), was found guilty of entering into a money laundering arrangement and false accounting.

The romance fraudsters, believed to be based in West Africa, created multiple fake personas on dating websites to target victims, many of whom were older, lonely, widowed or divorced, the CPS said.

After gaining victims’ trust and manufacturing what appeared to be genuine relationships, the fraudsters would manipulate the victims into transferring huge sums of money for various fabricated emergencies.

The CPS said many victims made multiple payments, depleting their life savings.

The investigation identified 77 victims of the fraud.

When victims were convinced to transfer money, the payments were directed through Suleman’s company.

To evade detection, when banks questioned suspicious transactions at Savanna Rags, Suleman doctored existing invoices, adding victims’ names to make them appear as legitimate business customers.

It is estimated at least £1.9m was laundered by the defendant, the CPS said.

Tarryn McCaffrey, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said Suleman “provided a financial lifeline to romance fraudsters who preyed on vulnerable individuals”.

She said the CPS worked closely with the National Crime Agency to build the case and bring him to justice.

“We will be pursuing confiscation proceedings against the defendant to remove any available criminal benefits gained from this enterprise,” Ms McCaffrey added.

Fraud minister Lord Hanson added “romance fraud is an appalling crime which can devastate lives”.

Savanna Rags ceased operations “with immediate effect” following a fire in March 2023.