A restaurant owner has been jailed for seven years and eight months for his part in a multi-million pound money-laundering operation.

Metin Teke, who ran Nazar Turkish Restaurant in High Street, Chatham, was part of a professional gang taking more than £5.5m in cash to the continent.

A jury heard how police have estimated more than £12m disappeared through Dover in the back of lorries in just a few months.

One bag with an Everton logo stuffed with cash was found.

Prosecutor Patrick Dennis quipped: "An amount that would even make the highest-paid Premier League footballer blush."

Gillingham resident Teke, 51, changed his pleas to guilty four weeks into the trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Second defendant Tamer Dalgic, 52, also from the town, was jailed for 32 months for smuggling cash, cigarettes and having a fake document.

He, too, changed his pleas to guilty more than half-way through the trial. Both men are Turkish nationals.

Mr Dennis told the court: "It is the prosecution case the same organised crime group is behind couriers transporting cash in and out of the country."

Two Turks and a Bulgarian courier were stopped at Dover driving lorries destined for mainland Europe.

He said that on each occasion "substantial" amounts of cash were found concealed.

On September 11, 2019, £449,410 was discovered in an Aldi bag-for- life concealed under the trailer cover and the Everton bag found on the top bunk.

Two weeks later, the smugglers stashed £264,050 in cash hidden behind a fridge panel in the lorry.

And last February, officers discovered £149,120 in cash in a Tesco bag which was under a fridge panel.

Teke changed his plea to 11 offences of transferring criminal property, having initially denied 22 money-laundering charges.

Dalgic faced four money-laundering charges and pleaded guilty to one of transferring £150,000 in criminal property and duty evasion of £47,000 in cigarettes.

He had earlier admitted a charge of possessing an illegal travel document.

All remaining charges were either left on file or formal not guilty verdicts entered.

The prosecutor said it was not possible to say what the money was to be used for - but officials couldn't rule out it might be used to fund the drug trade.

Judge Julian Smith told them: "This case involves large-scale, persistent and organised transfer of criminal cash from this country to the Continent.

"Whether the quantities of cash, identified in this case, were going to be enjoyed as spoils or funds to make further purchases of criminal items, is not known."

He added while Teke was "not at the very top of the tree" he was a facilitator, adding: "I have no doubt you were well rewarded for this".

"I accept, that prior to this you, were a hard-working businessman and a restauranteur."

Officials have already started proceedings to recover the profits under the Proceeds Of Crime Act.

The operation was conducted by the Organised Crime Partnership, a joint National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police unit.

Officers also discovered approximately £11,000 at Dalgic’s address, along with 66kg of rolling tobacco and 72,240 cigarettes. Dalgic also owned a counterfeit Polish driving licence.

On arrest, Teke admitted to having cash underneath his bed. During an interview, he also revealed that he bought 7,200 cigarettes from a lorry driver, which was found in his van.

Spokesman Matt McMillan said: “These men believed they could transfer large sums of money under the radar.

"Little did they know we were watching, and this investigation shows the commitment of the NCA and Met to ensuring money launderers face justice.

“Money laundering fuels serious and organised crime. Together we’re determined to disrupt networks which provide this vital service to criminals.”

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