A Royal Mail worker who intercepted drug-filled parcels and sent them to himself has been jailed after police found nearly £1.2million in cash hidden in his storage locker.
Amjad Ali, 50, was sentenced to six years and nine months after admitting a string of offences linked to a cannabis supply operation.
He ‘abused his position’ at a logistics centre by identifying parcels suspected of containing drugs before they underwent X-ray examination and redirecting them for his own benefit, said police.
The scheme ran over the course of a year from 2024 to 2025, with Ali relabelling parcels and arranging for them to be delivered to other addresses, including his home.
His operation in Slough came crashing down on December 12 last year when Thames Valley Police’s Berkshire East Disruption Team carried out a series of warrants at properties linked to him.
During searches of his home, vehicle and a storage facility, officers discovered £1,185,420 in cash concealed inside a storage locker. A further £42,290 was found at his home address.
The haul of more than £1.2million is believed to be proceeds from the onward sale of cannabis and is understood to be the largest cash seizure ever made by Thames Valley Police.
Ali was arrested and charged the next day, later pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of a Class B drug, theft of parcels, possessing criminal property and the possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.
Royal Mail worker Amjad Ali has been sentenced to six years and nine months after admitting a string of offences linked to a cannabis supply operation
Police said Ali ‘abused his position’ at a logistics centre by identifying parcels suspected of containing drugs before they underwent X-ray examination and redirecting them for his own benefit
During searches of Ali’s home, vehicle and a storage facility, officers discovered £1,185,420 in cash concealed inside a storage locker. A further £42,290 was found at his home address
Investigating officer PC Filippo Brancato said after the hearing at Reading Crown Court: ‘Ali thought he had found a lucrative way to exploit his role at Royal Mail, but today’s sentence shows crime does not pay. Our investigation uncovered more than
£1.2million in cash linked to his offending, the biggest cash seizure Thames Valley Police have made – highlighting the significant profits he generated through criminal enterprise.’
He added: ‘Money seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act will be reinvested into policing and community initiatives, helping us continue to disrupt criminal activity and bring offenders to justice.
‘We will continue to target those who facilitate the drugs trade and ensure they are held accountable for their actions.’
The Royal Mail said: ‘We take any criminal activity involving our network extremely seriously. We have a range of measures to protect the mail and work closely with law enforcement agencies to support criminal investigations.’
