Farooq Mazhar headed to Scotland from his home in Bolton before returning south.
13:08, 14 May 2025Updated 13:12, 14 May 2025
Farooq Mazhar.(Image: Pressteam.)
A plumber who was caught moving £50,000 of drug money from Scotland to England has been jailed for 14 months. Farooq Mazhar, 41, of Bolton, travelled in his Audi Q7 to pick up cash in Glasgow before he was stopped heading south by police on the M74.
Intelligence had been received that Mazhar was transporting drugs after he had been watched meeting an associate in March last year. His car was searched and no drugs were found but officers found two packages labelled ‘Jock £25,000’ and he was arrested.
Mazhar appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted possessing dirty cash with a total of £50,150. Sheriff John Hamilton KC said there was no alternative to prison.
An Audi Q7.(Image: AUDI AG.)
Self-employed plumber and gas fitter Mazhar was not an ‘unwilling idiot’ and was ‘up to his neck’ in the scheme which saw him travel to Scotland to shift dirty money.
Depute fiscal Scott O’Connor told the court: “Police were given intelligence that an Audi Q7 was driving southbound on the M74 and may be in possession of controlled drugs.
“The vehicle was stopped by police and on the basis of the intelligence, the accused was detained for a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act.” The car was stopped near Larkhall, Lanarkshire.
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Mr O’Connor continued: “A search of the vehicle commenced and behind the rear seats police located two brown-taped packages each with Jock £25,000 and the date on them.”
Explaining how Mazhar was tracked, the prosecutor added: “The accused had travelled from down south, met with someone in the Glasgow area for a five-minute meeting and thereafter had travelled southbound on the M74.
“The money is deemed to be criminal property and the intelligence was that he was involved in a criminal enterprise and that the meeting was for the exchange of money. The inference was that this money was linked to drugs.”
Ian Scott, defending, said: “He did not ask any questions about what the scheme would involve and he dropped his guard. He is not someone who has come from a criminal background.”
Sheriff Hamilton said: “It is clear that you were involved in serious crime and that this was definitely criminal property and linked to the drug trade. You drove from your home in Bolton in your Audi Q7 to collect it.
“I don’t accept that you were an unwilling idiot in the process and were deliberately involving yourself in criminal process. This is a serious matter and the custody threshold has been crossed quite easily and there will be a period of imprisonment.”