EXCLUSIVE: First picture of Met Police officer who was mole for organised crime gang and helped move £5m of illicit cash including to Dubai

THIS is the first picture of a former Met Police officer who has been jailed for nine years after admitting being a mole for an organised crime gang and helping crooks to move about £5 million of cash.

Neil Sinclair, 62, was jailed at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, October 21 2025, after he pleaded guilty in June to three counts of misconduct in public office and two counts of entering into an arrangement to facilitate the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person.

It followed a Met Police counter corruption probe directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The court heard he unlawfully accessed police systems and disclosed sensitive information to members of an organised crime group.

He also facilitated the transfer of over £1.5 million in cash from the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates and under instruction from a Dubai-based offender, he continued to move funds, with others, within the UK in excess of £3.5 million.

The offences occurred between February 2016 and March 2021 when Mr Sinclair was both a serving officer and later police staff.

Sinclair retired from the force in 2017 after starting there in 2006 and returned as police staff in January 2019.

Prior to his guilty pleas, the former officer had faced trial alongside six other men and a woman, none of them police officers, who were charged with various offences including entering into an arrangement to facilitate the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person. Mr Sinclair was dismissed from Met Police in October 2021, for inappropriately carrying Met issue police batons in his vehicle when arrested.

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Stancombe, who leads the Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, said: “Sinclair’s actions fell very far short of the high standards we expect of all our officers. He made a deliberate choice to abuse his position of trust to assist an organised crime group in their substantial criminal activities.

“Following information received we moved swiftly to refer the case to the IOPC, suspend Sinclair from duty and dismiss him at the earliest opportunity.

"Our anti-corruption command has extensive covert capabilities and determination to identify, arrest and bring before the courts all those who corrupt the integrity of our organisation, which will never be tolerated.”

Sinclair was charged in December 2023 alongside the seven others over have also been jailed for a combined total of 24 years and six months.

Stuart Sclaire, 71 (18.12.53) (above) and Felicity Sclaire, 68 (30.11.56), both of Frobisher Gardens, Chafford Hundred, were found guilty in July following a four-week trial.

Felicity Sclaire was convicted of two counts of arranging to facilitate the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property for another person and two counts of misconduct in public office.

Stuart Sclaire was convicted of two counts of arranging to facilitate the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property for another person and one count of misconduct in public office.

Stuart Sclaire was sentenced today to six-and-half years’ imprisonment and Felicity Sclaire to seven years’ imprisonment.

Adam Francis, 42 (29.06.83) (below) of Holly Lane, Smethwick pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court in December 2023 to supplying and producing cannabis.

He further pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court in February 2024 to entering into or being concerned in the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property.

He was sentenced today to a total of three years and nine months’ imprisonment.

Arvindray Patel 76 (14.11.48) (below) of Beverley Lane, Kingston, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to entering into or being concerned in the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property. He was jailed for two years, suspended for two years.

Muhammad Madha, 63 (25.08.62) (below) of Sutton Court Road, Sutton, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to possession of criminal property. He was sentenced to an 18-month community order with a three-month rehabilitation order.

Balwand Rai, 76 (25.02.49) (below) of Cherry Avenue, Southall pleaded guilty in June 2025 to concealing, converting and/or transferring criminal property. He was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment suspended for 15 months.

Idris Tasab, 25 (21.1.00) of Hilderstone Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to concealing, converting and/or transferring criminal property. In February 2024 he was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court for a total seven years and three months, which included drugs matters investigated by another force.

The Met investigation began in September 2020 after information received about Sinclair. A referral was made to the IOPC and the investigation directed by them.

IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: “The offending by Neil Sinclair, spanning several years, was a deliberate and prolonged pattern of criminal behaviour.

“The police are responsible for disrupting and dismantling organised criminal gangs, but this officer chose to join them. He played a key role in a substantial money laundering operation and abused his position to provide the gang with confidential police information. This was a profound breach of the trust placed in him by both the public and the force.

“The seriousness of his actions is reflected in the sentence handed down today, and it sends a strong message that facilitating criminal activity will not be tolerated.”

The IOPC began our directed investigation in September 2020 following a referral from the Met Police. Enquiries were carried out by the force’s anti-corruption unit under our direction. In February 2021, a file of evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges.