Pirate East End minicab driver has £11,000 from touting seized by court
A pirate minicab driver who coined £11,000 by touting for passengers in the street has had the cash forfeited by a court.
The money was part of an £18,000 haul seized in a police raid on 28-year-old Mustafa Ahmed’s home at Old Ford in east London two years ago.
Police on Wednesday successfully argued at Westminster Magistrates’ court that £11,000 was “the proceeds of touting” in his unlicenced minicab, so the sum was forfeited.
Ahmed was originally convicted of touting in 2009 and had his Private Hire Vehicle licensed revoked by Transport for London.
But he came to the attention of the transport authorities again in 2012 after being spotted operating his minicab, even though his licence had been revoked three years before.
He was arrested on suspicion of money laundering when he was found with £5,000 on him.
A further £13,000 was seized after police searched his home in Saxon Road, behind Roman Road Market.
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Wednesday’s forfeit order was made during civil proceedings against Ahmed by the Met Police under the 2002 Proceeds of Crime Act as they believed the money was earned while running an illegal minicab.