Two money launderers have been jailed after being caught with more than £270,000 in illegally earned cash.

Omerfaraz Rahman from Gillingham and Jonathan Oscroft from Nottingham were caught with bundles of banknotes in their possession following an investigation by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.

Rahman, 43, and Oscroft, 36, pleaded guilty to the offences and were each sentenced to three years in prison at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday.

The charges arose from an incident in September, 2018, when officers watched Rahman get into the passenger seat of a Porsche in a residential road in Nottingham.

It was being driven by Oscroft, who travelled a short distance to a neighbouring street before Rahman exited holding a carrier bag.

He placed the bag into the boot of an Audi, which was then driven back to the Medway Towns before being stopped by police on Maidstone Road, Wigmore. Rahmen told the officers he had around £35,000 cash inside the vehicle but they discovered a total of £61,155 and seized a phone containing various images showing a large number of banknotes.

Rahman was arrested on suspicion of money laundering, which led to officers carrying out a search of his home where they found a cash-counting machine and other evidence including bank statements and notebooks with records of cash values.

The carrier bag seized from Rahman's car contained a forensic link to Oscroft, who was arrested at his home address in January, 2019.

A search of his house found £212,674 in cash and mobile phone evidence showing his links to the supply of illegal drugs.

Police also seized a cash-counting machine and the Porsche he had previously driven Rahman in, which is suspected to have been purchased through the proceeds of crime.

DI Ian Sanderson said: “Most people do not keep vast quantities of cash hidden in their home or car unless they have something to hide. In the case of Omerfaraz Rahman and Jonathan Oscroft, they were trying to hide the fact that they are criminals.

“Neither man had the legitimate means to have as much money as they did, and together with the other evidence obtained throughout the course of this investigation, it was clear the cash had been obtained through illegal means.

“I hope this case sends a strong message to others that we have our eyes and ears everywhere, and that if you are making money through illegal means then your offending will catch up with you in the end.”