THE ringleader of a huge Bradford “chop shop” operation, who fled the country during his trial, did not come to court yesterday for a hearing to seize back his ill-gotten gains.

Siyavash Omidifar was jailed for 10 years in his absence after legging it to Doha in Qatar shortly after giving evidence at Bradford Crown Court.

He was the boss of what the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, described as “the most sophisticated chop shop that can ever be imagined” at the Chapel Green Works in Independent Street, Little Horton.

High-value stolen cars were stripped, dismantled and disguised in a sophisticated commercial enterprise at the industrial unit.

Omidifar, 41, of Ayresome Oval, Allerton, Bradford, left the UK from Manchester Airport on December 8 and his legal team have not heard from him since.

Barrister Jeremy Hill-Baker, representing Omidifar, said that he had received no instructions from him.

An interpreter was sent to yesterday’s Proceeds of Crime Application hearing for Omidifar, but Tom Storey for the Crown said he was not needed as the arrest warrant was still outstanding.

“So far as we are aware, he is still out of the jurisdiction,” Mr Storey said.

Omidifar’s “lieutenant” Pawel Wach, 35, also of Ayresome Oval, was brought to court from prison where he is serving a six-year sentence.

The judge heard that Wach had not returned any of the POCA paperwork.

Judge Durham Hall adjourned the hearing until September 10.

Omidifar and Wach were convicted by a jury in December of conspiracy to dishonestly receive vehicles and vehicle parts. Omidifar was also found guilty of laundering £57,000 of criminal money from the business.

Police raided the works after a stolen £40,000 Mercedes Benz C250 was traced to the building.

The police broke in to find the luxury motor on a false registration plate and with the rear seats removed. CCTV footage showed it being driven inside the works.

A vast collection of other vehicle parts were seized, many neatly arranged in order. In all, 69 vehicles were identified that had been dismantled by the conspirators between June, 2011, and September, 2016.

In the two months leading up to the police raid, £200,000 worth of vehicles had been stripped, cloned and disguised.

Mr Storey said Omidifar played a leading role in the conspiracy that involved stealing vehicles in domestic burglaries and the deliberate destruction of them.

“It was clearly a well manned and well organised enterprise. This was a staggering, arrogant, well run operation,” Judge Durham Hall said.

Insurance companies had paid out significant amounts of money and vehicles were often stolen in targeted, night-time domestic burglaries, mainly in the Bradford area.