TWO men have been sentenced after using an alcohol wholesale business to launder the profits of crime after they were caught with cash totalling £166,000.

James Meekings, 36, of Gordon Road, Horndon on the Hill and Gurbax Singh, of Yeading Fork, Hayes, in Hillingdon arrested after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs found Sing was using his alcohol wholesale businesses Phoenix Wholesale Trading Ltd in Ilford and UKK Wines Ltd in Romford to trade in non-UK duty paid alcohol.

Meekings was found to have acted as a cash courier to clean up the ‘dirty’ money.

Singh, 45, was arrested after HMRC officers saw him leaving a cash and carry in Croydon with a box and a black bag, which were found to contain £16,000 in cash.

After a search of his vehicle officers also found £50,000 cash hidden in the spare tyre compartment and a search of his home revealed a further £100,000 cash hidden in a wardrobe and sealed in carrier bags.

Meekings was arrested after officers saw him leaving UKK Wines Ltd with a black holdall containing almost £50,000 in cash.

Officers found another £4,165 in the glove box of his car and £4,800 in a plastic container of ‘protein powder’ at his home.

David Margree, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC said: “Singh and Meekings received substantial amounts of cash which they knew were the profits from crime.

“They had no regard that they were stealing from the taxpayer and depriving the nation’s finances of money needed to fund public services.”

Both men were found guilty of money laundering offences on April 26, 2016 after a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court and sentenced on Tuesday, May 24 at the same court.

Singh has now begun a three and a half year jail sentence while Meekings received a 12 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and was also order to do 250 hours of unpaid work.