Jail for Mansfield textiles boss who laundered money for ‘cruel and malicious’ romance scammers

Ahmed Ali Suleman, 63, of Mansfield, exploited his position within the textile industry to launder money for international fraudsters.

He was found guilty of entering into a money laundering arrangement and false accounting following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court and received four years and three months' imprisonment, along with a five-year director disqualification, on June 23.

“Through this money laundering operation, Suleman provided a financial lifeline to romance fraudsters who preyed on vulnerable individuals,” said Tarryn McCaffrey, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

“Money launderers are the enablers who make crime profitable and sustainable for these criminal networks. Suleman wasn’t just moving money – he was facilitating the continued exploitation of vulnerable people, causing devastating emotional and financial harm.

"We will be pursuing confiscation proceedings against the defendant to remove any available criminal benefits gained from this enterprise.”

Paul Boniface, National Crime Agency operations manager, said: “Romance fraud is a particularly cruel and malicious crime that results in victims paying out devastating sums of money.”

“The romance fraudsters, believed to be based in West Africa, created multiple fake personas on dating websites to target victims,” a spokesperson for the CPS said. “Many of those deceived were older, lonely, widowed, or divorced.

“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.

"Many victims made multiple payments, depleting their life savings.”

The investigation identified 77 victims of the fraud and it’s estimated that at least £1.9 million was laundered by the defendant.

Suleman ran a seemingly legitimate UK-based textile business, Savanna Rags, which collected second-hand clothing for export to West Africa and was based on Greenline Industrial Estate in Mansfield.

However, this company also served as a front to process fraudulent funds the CPS said.

The Savanna Rags warehouse was decimated by fire in 2023. At the time of the blaze, more than 100 firefighters were involved and the company announced its immediate closure.

“When victims were convinced to transfer money, the payments were directed through this company,” the spokesperson added.

“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.”