A FORMER fugitive has been spared jail for his part in a lucrative bank scam.
Shahbaz Mohammed played a vital role in helping a crime mob steal cash from duped victims.
He laundered £40,000 taken from two men who were conned into giving out personal information.
The 37-year-old’s father is drugs kingpin Sultan Mohammed – once jailed for masterminding a cross-border heroin gang.
The son was later locked up himself in 2011 after spending two and a half years on the run.
Shahbaz Mohammed was sentenced to five months having earlier been caught with £100,000 of heroin at the family’s luxury home in Barrhead.
His latest offence saw him appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court, where he pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge.
The dad-of-five admitted moving cash transferred to him to other accounts he held between October 29 and November 8, 2012.
Mohammed – represented by leading QC Gordon Jackson – walked free after he was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
He was also hit with a six-month curfew, meaning he has to stay at home each day between 9pm and 7am.
Mohammed, of Thornliebank, near Glasgow, is the second man in Scotland guilty of being involved in the huge scam.
The court heard claims a criminal thought to be living “a lavish lifestyle” in Dubai is behind it.
Prosecutor Blair Speed said: “Shahbaz Mohammed acted as an intermediary for others in the laundering of money which had been obtained by fraud.”
Philip Jeffrey, 63, was conned by one of the gang into giving his account details thinking he was speaking on the phone to a member of his bank’s fraud team.
Gilbert Wilson, 68, was preyed upon in a similar fashion. It led to a total of £40,000 being swindled from the men.
Money was sent into Mohammed’s account. He later transferred cash elsewhere and also bought thousands of pounds worth of Euros.
Mr Speed added: “The accused sent and received a number of text and picture messages with another person in relation to the funds.”
The court heard Mohammed did not call either victim – but knew who did and had been threatened.
Omar Aslam, 32, was the first member of the gang to be jailed last November.
He was locked up for 37 months after he pled guilty to fraud and Proceed of Crimes charges.
Aslam helped the mob get their hands on £78,000, including cash from a 74 year-old woman from Edinburgh.
Aslam got in tow with rogue Glasgow postal worker William McVey.
Members of the mob pretended to be two OAPs and contacted their banks to ask for new bank cards and PIN numbers.
Prosecutors said McVey did “intercept and steal letters” containing this information which was then handed over to the gang.
It is believed McVey will not face charges.
Police swooped on Aslam’s home in Glasgow southside around Christmas 2012.
Officers found £104,050 of dirty money as well as US dollars, Arab dirhams and casino chips.
Aslam’s lawyer told the court he had used his proceeds from the crime on “holidays and living well”.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article