Aram Sheibani jailed for 37 years

A millionaire conman who flaunted his luxurious lifestyle online has been jailed for 37 years.

Aram Sheibani, 40, funded his lavish lifestyle through fraud, money laundering and other illicit offences.

The Manchester millionaire had NZ$10 million in properties, $3 million in cryptocurrency and a luxury Porsche worth more than $47,000.

The man, who has been sentenced to 37 years in jail, made a habit of flaunting his wealth on social media, including his numerous travels and cosmetic surgeries.

He was also found guilty of tax evasion, as well as falsifying documents to buy properties under the guise of being a legitimate businessman.

Police officers who raided his properties in London and Manchester found cash, cryptocurrency recovery codes as well as cocaine, a Porsche Panamera and two phones with military-grade encryption.

He also had expensive artworks, including original Banksy and Andy Warhol works.

Sheibani smashed the phones and rammed them down the toilet in a bid to destroy evidence.

Police also found material related to the production and distribution of cocaine.

"Sheibani is a calculated, deceitful and scheming criminal who believes he is above the law," Sergeant Lucy Pearson, of Great Manchester Police's (GMP) Economic Crime Unit, said.

"His greed shows no limits and he has been funding his materialistic lifestyle of luxury with fraud and criminality, masquerading as a legitimate businessman to conceal his ill-gotten gains.

"He is a dishonest individual who has not shown any remorse for his actions throughout this entire investigation, refusing to co-operate with police and attempting to destroy evidence.

"The extent of Sheibani's criminality should not be underestimated, not only is he involved in tax evasion and money laundering which has a detrimental effect on the economy and society, resulting in honest taxpayers feeling that burden, but the source of his tainted income is as a result of a class A drugs conspiracy," Pearson added.

"This has been a complex investigation which has included a number of international inquiries and I would like to thank the dedicated team of GMP detectives and financial investigators who have been working alongside CPS to gather all the evidence which has allowed us to expose Sheibani's fraudulent lifestyle and the criminal activity he had tried so hard to conceal, and ensure he faces justice."