Married drug dealers used profits from empire to put their three children through £100,000 private school

A COUPLE who ran a drug empire and banked half a million pounds spent their money on luxury holidays and spent £100,000 on private education for their children.

Shiraz Amjad Sharif, 45, and wife Salina, 46, lived a “lavish lifestyle” thanks to their empire.

The couple were found guilty of money laundering at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday but only Salina could be jailed after her husband fled to Pakistan leaving her to stand trial alone.

Greater Manchester Police raided the Sharif’s home in Levenshulme in Manchester and discovered £30,000 worth of pure crystallised MDMA and a large amount of drug paraphernalia.

A police investigation revealed the couple claimed to be unemployed.

Salina also accepted a £1,000 student loan by claiming she was a student and tax credits for their three children.

Despite claiming to have no job, the Sharif’s extravagant purchases included a £60,000 Range Rover, designer goods from Armani, Kurt Geiger and Gucci worth more than £30,500.

The family also enjoyed a £42,000 trip to Florida.

The couple also managed to spend almost £100,000 putting their children through private school.

Before he fled to Islamabad in May 2016, Shiraz was driving around in a top of the range Audi A6 and also spent thousands on designer goods and luxuries as well as sending money to family in Pakistan.

Salina was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment.

Shiraz, who was also convicted of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, was sentenced in absence to four and a half years.

Detective Constable Dave Berry, of GMP City of Manchester team, said: “Having lead on this investigation since 2014 and seen first-hand the lifestyle the Sharif’s lived, I can honestly say it is staggering that they would have the audacity to live so lavishly yet think they wouldn’t get caught.

“They brazenly flaunted their riches despite claiming to be unemployed yet dropped their children off at an expensive private school in a £60,000 Range Rover.

“I hope this will read as a cautionary tale to anyone who thinks they can revel in their ill-gotten gains and get away with it.

“It may seem like a great idea when you’re flying to destinations like Florida or the Egyptian Red Sea but that feeling will soon turn to regret when you’re sat in a prison cell.”

Earlier this month another couple who run a drug empire and spent £40,000 on their wedding were ordered to pay £14,000.

Carl and Donna Honey-Jones used their drug-dealing empire to fund holidays to Dubai, Maldives, Florida and Mexico.

A Proceeds of Crime hearing at Swansea Crown Court heard Carl Honey-Jones had benefited £1.1million from the drugs ring but the only available funds he has now £9,680.

They were sentenced in 2015 along with other gang members and have now been ordered to pay back less than £14,000.

Errol Watson, 54, was also jailed for 16 years for bring £2m worth of pink liquid cocaine into the UK.

Watson was set to receive 26kg of the dyed drug in metal canisters labelled as oil filters from Barbados.

But suspicious Gatwick officials drilled inside to find bright pink liquid after an x-ray of the filters raised suspicions.