The long arm of the law has once again caught up with a Swindon man who thought he could outsmart the justice system.
Fatos Hamzaraj, previously convicted as the head of an organised crime group, has now been ordered to pay back an additional £47,000 of his unlawfully acquired funds.
Hamzaraj’s criminal career first came under serious scrutiny back in 2013, when he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for leading a network involved in the supply of cocaine. Investigations carried out by Wiltshire Police at the time uncovered the full extent of his illegal earnings, valuing his benefit from criminal activity at a staggering £2.4 million. Yet, under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), the court could only confiscate £9,000 due to the limited assets available to him at sentencing.
Upon his release in 2017, having served his time, it appeared Hamzaraj had not turned over a new leaf. Instead, his return to criminality saw him back before the courts in 2022, this time receiving a further sentence of three years and nine months for conspiracy to produce cannabis.
As part of ongoing confiscation proceedings, Wiltshire Police discovered £39,000 sitting in Hamzaraj’s bank account. He claimed this was legitimate income and contested its seizure. Given the complexity of the case, specialist officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) were brought in earlier this year to assist in the financial investigation.
Their Asset Confiscation and Enforcement (ACE) team conducted an exhaustive enquiry, eventually presenting evidence that not only disputed Hamzaraj’s claims but also uncovered an additional £7,700 seized at the time of his arrest. The combined total of £47,000 was brought before Swindon Crown Court on 2nd June, where the judge ruled in favour of the prosecution, increasing the original confiscation order from £9,000 to £56,000.
Amanda Alldridge from SWROCU’s ACE team remarked: “Hamzaraj went to great lengths to conceal his assets, but working closely with Wiltshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, we were able to identify, freeze and ultimately recover these hidden funds. This should serve as a stark warning – we will continue to pursue criminals financially, regardless of how long ago their offences took place.”
Lou Martin, Financial Investigations Manager for Wiltshire Police, praised the cooperation between regional and local agencies. “This demonstrates how determined partnership working can effectively target and recover criminal finances. We remain committed to ensuring proceeds of crime are fully repaid.”
Chief Crown Prosecutor Adrian Foster echoed these sentiments: “Despite his repeated attempts to evade justice and hide his wealth, joint efforts between our teams led to the successful uplift of his confiscation order. Organised crime spreads harm and misery across our communities, and we will continue working with law enforcement to dismantle these operations and deny criminals the fruits of their illegal activities.”
