A MAN said to have made more than £113,000 from crime while working as a Nelson second-hand car dealer, must pay back £35,000 or end up back in jail.

Mohammed Aslam had been found with almost £75,000 drugs money on the back seat of his vehicle in April 2007.

He had been helping criminals launder the ‘dirty’ money, had collected the haul in Manchester and was in the process of delivering it to someone in Nelson when he was stopped, a court was earlier told.

The Crown Court in Burnley had heard how the cash was heavily contaminated with Class A drugs, cocaine and heroin.

Aslam had claimed to a jury he believed the cash was for machinery in Pakistan and said he was to get half a per cent commission for his part in the operation.

Aslam had stood trial in March 2010, accused of entering into an arrangement which he knew or suspected facilitated the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property, by or on behalf of another person.

The married father, then 56, living in Milton Street, Nelson, and a car dealer in the area for about 18 years, had denied the allegation, but was convicted by the jury.

He was jailed for a year two months later.

At the time, Judge Andrew Woolman had told Aslam, who had had no previous convictions, he was being sentenced on the basis he didn’t know it was criminal money, but suspected it was.

Aslam was back at the court last Friday for a proceeds of crime hearing.

Judge Simon Newell found he had benefited to the tune of £113,122.93 and that his realisable assets were £35,000.

Aslam was given six months to hand over the £35,000 to HM Revenue and Customs or face another 15 months behind bars.