Police have released footage capturing the arrest of Zahid Khan, a fraudster who fled to Dubai but was brought back to the West Midlands to serve a 10-year prison sentence. Khan absconded during his trial in 2018, where he was convicted of orchestrating a car number plate scam, aiming to pocket £500,000.
The 38-year-old, previously of Yardley Wood Road, Moseley, was the mastermind behind a scheme that involved stealing high-value, personalized number plates. After jumping police bail, he left family members to face the consequences of his actions.
Khan was found guilty in absentia and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was also convicted later that year for people smuggling, having illegally brought Afghan immigrants into the UK. This conviction stemmed from an incident on November 8, 2015, when he was stopped at Dover while driving a BMW in convoy with a heavy goods vehicle (HGV). Authorities discovered five Afghan nationals hidden within a load of tyres in the HGV, which was registered to his business.
Khan’s fraud involved illicitly acquiring DVLA paperwork that allowed his gang to transfer ownership of five high-value number plates—2K, 8G, 9H, 9J, and C1—without the owners’ consent. He sold the 2K plate for £85,000 and was negotiating to sell the others when a past customer discovered that they already owned the 8G plate, which was on a vehicle in their driveway.
Further investigations revealed Khan’s connection to six stolen cars operating under false plates. Since his conviction, police worked diligently to ensure Khan’s return to the UK. He was arrested by Turkish authorities on November 27 last year and deported back to the UK on December 22.
Newly released video footage from police body cameras shows the moment of Khan’s arrest at Manchester Airport before his return to the West Midlands.
Having admitted to failing to appear in court, Khan was sentenced to an additional four weeks at Stafford Court on Monday, which will be served consecutively with his original 10-year sentence, commencing the day after his return to the UK.
West Midlands Police Det Sgt Rob Piper, who investigated the initial fraud case, stated, “Khan portrayed the image of a legitimate businessman and a multi-millionaire, but in reality, he is a career criminal and a con artist. While a fugitive, he used social media to taunt police and protest his innocence, but we worked tirelessly to ensure he faced justice for his crimes. Our relentless efforts demonstrate that we can reach beyond the UK to bring serious and organized criminals to justice.”