# Money laundering > One of the best King’s Counsel defence barristers for money laundering and proceeds of crime allegations. Source: https://www.imranshafikc.com/expertise/money-laundering --- # Money laundering Money laundering allegations and the confiscation proceedings that usually follow them. Prefer to write? [Make an enquiry](https://www.imranshafikc.com/contact). ## What this covers - Concealing, arranging and acquiring criminal property - Money service bureaux and informal value transfer, including hawala - Cases where the alleged predicate offence is not charged - Failure to disclose and tipping off - The confiscation proceedings that follow a conviction ## What actually happens **The predicate** The prosecution does not have to prove which crime produced the money, only that the property was criminal property. That is a lower bar than most people expect and it is where these cases are fought. **Irresistible inference** Where there is no proven predicate offence the case is built on the shape of the transactions. That inference can be answered with evidence of a legitimate business. **What follows** A conviction is not the end. Confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act comes next, and the figure is often larger than anything that was ever handled. ## Cases As his chambers describes them. 1. Operation Bayweek 2018 Hugely complex prosecution of alleged laundering of the multi-million proceeds of the sale of non-UK duty paid cigarettes. Two trials listed in 2018 and dozens of defendants. 2. R v Vargas 2017 Represented the manager of a Money Transfer Bureau indicted with using fake and stolen identification in order to transfer the proceeds of crime to Colombia. 3. Operation Solar 2016 Represented one member of a family of suspected drug dealers alleged to have laundered millions over many years. Unusual in its reliance upon police intelligence as the main source of the prosecution evidence. 4. Operation Forrester 2015 Thirteen-defendant international conspiracy to supply multi-kilos of cocaine and launder the proceeds through the ‘Hawala’ banking system. 5. Operation Yates 2 2015 Money laundering prosecution arising from Operation Yates 1, a conspiracy to import over one hundred kilos of heroin from Pakistan. 6. Operation Crocodile 2013 Conspiracy to launder over 12 million pounds of the proceeds of crime through the ‘Hawala’ banking system. 7. Operation Enigma 2012 Twelve-defendant 200 million money laundering through a Money Transfer Bureau and the ‘Hawala’ system. One of the largest prosecutions of its type, listed for a four-month trial. Taken from the case list his chambers publishes. Not all of the cases Imran Shafi KC has been involved in are set out on this site, for various reasons including confidentiality. ## What Imran does about it He defends the substantive allegation and stays with the case into confiscation, where the benefit figure and the available amount are argued separately and most of the money is actually decided. ## His experience in these cases Money laundering allegations are often built upon vast quantities of financial material, complex transactional histories and assumptions about what can be inferred from a defendant’s conduct. Successfully defending such cases requires not only a detailed understanding of the financial evidence, but the ability to identify the real issues hidden within thousands of pages of documentation. Imran Shafi KC is recognised for his ability to analyse and present complex financial evidence clearly and effectively. Comfortable working with detailed banking records, company documents, accounting material and transactional data, he quickly identifies the facts that matter and exposes weaknesses in the prosecution case. A key feature of his approach is close collaboration with forensic accountants and financial experts. By combining legal expertise with specialist financial analysis, he ensures that every aspect of the prosecution’s case is rigorously tested and that alternative explanations are properly developed and advanced. Money laundering prosecutions frequently rely upon inviting a jury to draw inferences from a pattern of transactions, cash movements or associations. Imran is highly experienced in challenging those inferences, exposing speculation and requiring the prosecution to prove each element of its case rather than relying upon assumption or hindsight. From the earliest stage of proceedings, he focuses on defining the prosecution case with precision. Prosecutors are often required to identify exactly what criminal property is alleged, how it is said to have arisen and the basis upon which knowledge or suspicion is attributed to the defendant. By forcing the issues into sharp focus, he is able to identify weaknesses and inconsistencies that might otherwise remain concealed. His meticulous preparation produces robust and carefully constructed defence cases. Whether the issue is the source of funds, beneficial ownership, business practices, accounting irregularities or the prosecution’s interpretation of financial transactions, every aspect of the evidence is critically examined. Where appropriate, Imran will pursue decisive challenges to the prosecution case, including applications to dismiss before trial and submissions of no case to answer. His strategic and analytical approach has led to successful outcomes both before and during trial, avoiding unnecessary proceedings where the evidence falls short of the standard required by law. For those facing serious money laundering allegations, Imran Shafi KC provides clear, authoritative and strategic representation, combining forensic attention to detail with determined advocacy at every stage of the case. Regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Authorised to accept Public Access instructions. Not authorised to conduct litigation.