A kidnap, a cannabis factory and £1.25million in cryptocurrency

In April 2017 Sergejs Teresko was kidnapped from outside an address in Virginia Water. Police attended the premises and found that the rented property in a quiet suburban area had been used as a cannabis factory. CCTV from the premises showed the kidnap and subsequent violent confrontation between the kidnappers and unknown associates of the defendant.

The police investigating the kidnap attended the home address of Sergejs Teresko in an expensive area of Cobham and found in excess of £230,000 in cash and a large number of false identity cards and bank account cards. There was no sign of Mr Teresko. The defendant contacted the police the next day. He was interviewed about all matters and made no comment.

The police obtained the bank statements for all of the cards found at the address. The statements showed a total of £620,000 in cash had been paid into the accounts in the last 3 years. Between 2013 and 2017 a total of £151,503.00 had been paid in cash into the defendant’s own bank accounts.

There was also evidence that the defendant and his partner were leading a lavish lifestyle. The defendant’s tax records showed little legitimate earnings yet the police found designer shoes and handbags, expensive jewellery and watches at his home address. The defendant also had a safety deposit box at the Metro Bank in Staines that was searched on 18th April 2017 it contained valuable pieces of jewellery and more expensive watches.

Finally the police discovered a bitcoin wallet and in a first for the police they seized £1.25 million in Bitcoin. Claire Harden-Frost prosecuted the defendant who pleaded guilty to 9 counts including being knowingly concerned in the production of cannabis and possession of the proceeds of crime. He was sentenced to 9 years and 3 months imprisonment. On Thursday 19^th July a Judge made a confiscation order in the sum of £1.4 million.

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