Manchester drug ring boss told to hand over £3.5 million or spend longer in jail

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Aram Sheibani, of Trafford in Greater Manchester, was sentenced to 37 years in jail in 2021 Credit: GMP

A former drug ring boss who lived a "lavish" lifestyle has been ordered to pay £3.5m or face ten extra years in jail.

In 2021, Aram Sheibani, of Trafford in Greater Manchester, was sentenced to 37 years in jail for fraud, money laundering and drug offences.

He has been ordered to pay back the money after Greater Manchester Police continued to investigate his finances.

Sheibani, an Iranian refugeee, was from the upper echelons of organised crime and his extravagant lifestyle and high net worth associations were blasted all over social media.

He posted pictures of his lavish lifestyle on social media Credit: GMP

He was pictured across the globe on yachts and in luxury cars, but his downfall came in 2021 when detectives uncovered the true extent of his crime.

In one property in London, police recovered a safe which contained over £160k cash, safety deposit keys, crypto currency, and cocaine.

A Porsche Panamera and several encrypted phones, often used by the criminal underworld to conduct business, were also seized.

Searches of other properties led them to recover more encrypted mobile phones, bank statements, and more cash.

In total, police seized £1.2 million cash, property valued at £5 million, and £1.5 million worth of cryptocurrency.

In one property in London, police recovered a safe which contained over £160k cash Credit: GMP

Detective Superintendent Andy Buckthorpe from GMP's Economic Crime unit said: "The criminal investigation into Sheibani and his illicit activity was incredibly complex, and enquiries led us overseas and into the digital world of cryptocurrency.

"Sheibani was fuelled by greed and dishonesty, making vast profits from class A drugs and illicit means, ignorant to the damage and destruction this trade has to our communities.

“If he does not pay back £3,408,369.67 in the next three months, an additional ten years will be added to his already lengthy jail sentence."

Aram Sheibani was jailed for 37 years in 2021 Credit: GMP

Detective Superintendent Buckthorpe added: "I hope this acts as a stark warning to those involved in criminality.

"Our investigations don’t end once you’re behind bars, our financial investigators will come for every penny you have gained at the expense of innocent people."

DS Buckthorpe also said money confiscated through this order will be reinvested back into the local community who were so affected by Sheibani and his crimes, with the aim of making the community safer for local people and more hostile for criminals.