A 40-YEAR-OLD Bradford father has been jailed for two years after he allowed bank accounts linked to him to be used to launder more than £155,000.

The money, which had been intended to pay for the purchase of a fish and chip shop business in the south of England, was intercepted after the email of the solicitor handling the deal was “hacked” by criminals back in 2013.

Bradford Crown Court heard today that the money was unlawfully transferred into an account which Magomed Abdulmuslimov had set up in relation to a second-hand car business.

Over the next few weeks the money was dispersed via various other accounts in West Yorkshire and Leicestershire.

Abdulmuslimov’s barrister Mahmud Aslam said he was genuinely remorseful for his role in the scam and he stressed that his client had not been the instigator or prime mover behind the offending.

Abdulmuslimov admitted offences of fraud and money-laundering in relation to the £155,000 and the court heard that he had also pleaded guilty to a second money-laundering offence which occurred six months later.

On that occasion almost £20,000 was paid into an account held by him.

Jailing Abdulmuslimov, Judge Peter Benson said he had helped to launder the fraudulently obtained money “far and wide” and the second offence of money-laundering was an aggravating feature of his case.

“Your behaviour in my judgement constitutes a serious degree of criminality,” the judge told him.

Abdulmuslimov, of Brantwood Oval, Stoney Ridge, Bradford, appeared in the dock alongside three men from Leicester and one from Sheffield who all admitted involvement in laundering the stolen money.

Sheffield man Madani Ismailov, 40, of Whiteways Road, was jailed for six months after he admitted money-laundering and a charge of perverting the course of justice.

Praful Vyas, 44, of Constance Road, Leicester, Raju Karavardra, 26, of Greenbank Road, Leicester, and Sarman Gorania, 28, of Queniborough Road, Leicester, were all given suspended prison sentences.

Vyas was sentenced to 15 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 250 hours unpaid work.

Gorania and Karavardra were given 12-month jail terms, suspended for two years, and told to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.