A PAIR of money launderers who swindled more than £500,000 from a company in Hounslow have been jailed for a total of five years.

Haroon Leawal, from Birmingham, was sentenced to three years and nine months behind bars when he appeared at Kingston Crown Court on October 30. He was also disqualified from holding a directorship for five years.

Shahbaaz Khan, of Stuart Road, Harrow, was jailed for 15 months and banned from holding a directorship for three years.

Detective Inspector Brian Lucas, of Hounslow police's financial investigation unit, said: "These convictions mean that not only do these two receive substantial jail terms, but they will have their assets taken away from them. It was a team effort by members of the payback unit and they deserve credit for the successful outcome of this case."

Leawal and Khan were found guilty on September 25 of laundering £444,406 and £66,300 respectively through bogus companies.

The money had been stolen from Ceva Freight in Godfrey Way, Hounslow.