UK Fraudster Arif Patel Ordered to Repay £90 Million in Multi-City Tax Scam

Arif Patel, the mastermind behind one of the UK's largest carousel tax frauds, has been ordered to repay over £90 million in assets following his conviction for conspiracy to cheat public revenue, false accounting, and money laundering. Patel and his criminal network orchestrated a scheme involving fake VAT repayment claims on false exports of textiles and mobile phones, alongside importing and selling counterfeit clothing valued at tens of millions of pounds. The proceeds funded a sprawling property empire across multiple countries including the UK, Morocco, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, as well as luxury items like a Ferrari, both of which are now subject to confiscation. Patel and his co-accused were found guilty in absentia after a 14-week trial, which also resulted in lengthy prison sentences for 24 other gang members. The confiscation order, secured through joint efforts by HM Revenue and Customs, Lancashire Police, and the Crown Prosecution Service, aims to return stolen funds to UK public services. Officials emphasized the ongoing commitment to recovering criminal proceeds and highlighted this confiscation as one of the largest ever achieved in the UK.