An international drugs boss from Greater Manchester who racked up ‘eye-watering wealth’ and lived a lavish ‘jet-setting lifestyle’ has lost an appeal against his conviction and sentence. Aram Sheibani, now, 43, from Bowdon, Trafford, was jailed for 37 years in June 2021 for his involvement in a ‘high-level’ cocaine conspiracy over almost a decade. Using money from fraud and drugs, he was found to have amassed a £5m property empire, including an exclusive £1.74 million apartment in Kensington, London, where he had artwork by Banksy and Andy Warhol. The criminal travelled around the world and drove top-of-the-range cars such as a Bentley and a Porsche all whilst masquerading as a legitimate businessman. READ MORE: From war-torn Iran to the playboy lifestyle – how Aram Sheibani became an international drugs boss READ MORE: A ‘Saudi prince’, parties with ‘footballers’, model girlfriends and a very expensive hair transplant – the hedonistic life of luxury of an international cocaine boss Police also found he had more than £1m in cash, cryptocurrency valued at £1.3m, original artwork from Banksy and Andy Warhol and that he had paid for cosmetic surgery including veneers, hair transplants and a nose job. A judge said his ‘greed knew no boundaries’ and that he was satisfied Sheibani was ‘at the very head of a large-scale, international drugs conspiracy’ and was ‘very close to the very source of production in Colombia’. Sheibani claimed his wealth had come from legitimate sources but following an eight-week trial, jurors took just five hours to convict him of 20 fraud, money laundering and drug offences. Today judges heard a renewed appeal against both his conviction and his sentence at the Court of Appeal in London. Sheibani’s barrister labelled evidence of drug dealing against him as ‘circumstantial’ as he argued his conviction was unsafe. And he also said there was ‘no evidential basis’ for him receiving the lengthy sentence he did. Simon Csoka KC, representing Sheibani, said it ‘was not a case where there was an identified conspiracy’ but that the prosecution’s case consisted of ‘circumstantial evidence’ which ‘could have been concluded to be consistent with drug dealing.’ He said his client was not given an opportunity to bid to have the charges dismissed, and went on to say that ‘evidence that related to drug dealing was put forward into what might be termed a Frankenstein conspiracy’ – consisting of the parts of more than one conspiracy.’ “Where is the evidence that this was a single conspiracy as against a number of conspiracies?,” he said He added that in order to convict the jury had to be sure Sheibani was guilty of the offence as set out on the indictment and that they are ‘considering the same conspiracy together.’ He said the judge had ‘not directed the jury about that issue.’ Lady Justice Macur agreed that ‘If half the jury think it is one conspiracy and half the jury think its more than one it should have been a not guilty verdict.’ However, she said: “But the closing speeches and the directions of the judge to the jury were to the effect that this was a single conspiracy.” In relation to Sheibani’s sentence, Mr Csoka said it ‘wasn’t a case where the prosecution identified a quantity of the drugs’ which was ‘accepted by the judge in his sentencing remarks.’ He said it was the ‘top quarter’ of cases which attracted sentences of more than 30 years and claimed there was ‘no evidential basis’ for the judge to conclude that the conspiracy was ‘of the very highest level.’ He said it was a ‘wholly exceptional case which has produced a sentence which is completely out of scope with other cases.’ However, Lady Justice Macur said: “This wasn’t an ordinary drugs conspiracy case.” “There was evidence that this applicant had over a very long period of time concerned himself in such a high level of expenditure that it suggested, and I am paraphrasing, the extent and scope of the conspiracy,” she added. “There was evidence of eye-watering wealth that this applicant could not explain beyond the mortgage frauds, and so was the judge wrong to say that this money, on that evidence, emanated to a significant degree from drug dealing?” Both appeals were thrown out by a panel of three judges. Lady Justice Macur said the full reasons for their decision would be published in writing in due course. “That is the end of the matter as far as this court is concerned unless anyone finds other evidence to put before the CCRC (Criminal Cases Review Commission),” she said. Sheibani, then of Delemar Road, Bowdon, was found guilty of five counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception; three offences of possession of criminal property; two offences of failing to comply with a notice; two offences of converting criminal property; two offences of fraud; forgery; using false instruments; conspiracy to supply controlled drugs; possession of a controlled drug of class A and perverting the course of justice. Passing sentence at the time of his conviction, Judge Anthony Cross KC said it was ‘impossible’ to determine the exact involvement of Sheibani’s involvement in drug dealing, but he was satisfied he was involved at a high level internationally. “I don’t believe that the police have been able to uncover all your dealings, the evidence is plainly to the contrary,” Judge Cross said. Sergeant Lucy Pearson, of GMP’s Economic Crime Unit, said after his sentence that Sheibani was a ‘calculated, deceitful and scheming criminal.” “He is a dishonest individual who has not shown any remorse for his actions throughout this entire investigation, refusing to cooperate with police and attempting to destroy evidence,” she said. “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.”
Greater Manchester drugs boss who hid his crime empire behind luxury Playboy lifestyle makes desperate bid for jail release
