Other UK News In Brief

Man Jailed For Firearms And Drugs Offences

A 26-year-old man has been jailed for a total of eight years for firearms and drugs offences. Mohamed Hashi Sharif, 26, of Holloway Road in north London, pleaded guilty to possession of a shotgun and received a five year jail sentence. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of Class A drugs, namely cocaine and crack cocaine with intent to supply, but was found guilty on both counts and jailed for two years on each count to run concurrently with each other but consecutively to the firearm sentence. He was also found guilty of possession of criminal property, namely dye stained cash for which he was jailed for one year to run consecutively. He was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court. In July 2010, officers from Islington Crime Squad led by Sergeant Derek Wright executed a drugs warrant at an address in Salisbury Walk. A sawn off shotgun and over 300 shotgun cartridges were found. Officers also discovered two lumps of crack cocaine, four smaller bundles of Class A drugs, a small quantity of Class B drugs and approximately £500 in dye stained £10 notes which could only have been obtained through crime. Sergeant Derek Wright from the Proactive Crime Squad in Islington said: "An armed gunman and a weapon capable of taking a life has been taken off the streets of Islington. This was a thorough investigation by the Islington Crime Squad and it will have a considerable impact on the local community. This conviction sends out a very clear message to those who possess guns and supply illegal drugs that they will be dealt with vigorously by police in Islington."

North West Submits Highest Number Of Regional Growth Bids

New statistics published by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills show that the most number of bids to the Regional Growth Fund came from the North West. A total of 89 bids were submitted to the fund from the region out of a total of 464. The £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund is designed to encourage enterprise, growth and jobs in the private sector and support regions that are dependent on the public sector. The statistics also include a breakdown of the number of bids received from local enterprise partnership areas and a breakdown of the value of the bids in summary form. Once the Independent Advisory Panel, chaired by Lord Heseltine, has assessed the bids, they will advise a panel of ministers chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. As part of a competitive bidding process the number of bids received should help ensure that government support is best directed to projects that meet the objectives and criteria, and create the maximum benefits in those areas that are most needy. The figures being made available today also show: That most of the bids were for between £1m and £5m (299 or 64 per cent); The total value of first round bids is £2.78 billion; and the breakdown by local enterprise partnership areas. The Regional Growth Fund will run for three years and there will be a second round this year. The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills will announce the dates for the second round shortly.

Man Jailed In Investigation Linked To Operation Rize

A money launderer has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison at Blackfriars Crown Court following enquiries into his financial affairs after £95,000 was found hidden in a safe deposit box. Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Proactive Money Laundering Team (PMLT) began an investigation into Neil Ayres, 35, following Operation Rize, which was an intelligence led operation that took place in June 2008, targeting criminals using safe deposit boxes to hide cash and criminal assets across London and the rest of the UK. During a seven day trial, the jury heard how Ayres held a safe deposit box at the Hampstead Safe Depository, in North London. When it was opened, officers discovered that it contained £95,000 in cash. The seized cash and two mobile phones belonging to Ayres were forensically examined and all items were found to be contaminated with extremely high levels of cocaine. In court Ayres claimed that he had won the money by playing poker and that his personal cocaine use was the reason why the money was contaminated. Eventually he admitted that he had previously been involved in the supply of cocaine. Police now believe that the money seized was made through his drug dealing activity and the profits were being hidden in the box which was opened in November 2007. He was today sentenced to three and half years in prison. The cash has now been confiscated and will go back to the public purse.

(BMcN/GK)