The owner of a tanning salon has been ordered to hand over his £25,000 Mercedes after he went on a shoplifting spree at Cheshire Oaks.
Ali Farahani, of City Road in Liverpool, was ordered to hand the car over under the Proceeds of Crime Act after it was proven that his car was used in the commission of crime.
The 39-year-old was arrested at Cheshire Oaks in September after security guards spotted him stashing stolen designer clothes into his bag.
A search of his top-of-the-range vehicle uncovered a bundle of cash estimated at £10,000, several items of luxury clothing amounting to £500 stolen from stores that day and two magnets used to remove shop security tags.
Farahani was arrested on suspicion of theft and money-laundering along with a 39-year-old woman.
He was charged with four counts of theft from a shop and one count of going equipped to steal.
The woman was released without charge.
Strong message to criminals
Chief Inspector Giles Orton, of Ellesmere Port Local Policing Unit, said: “This case sends out a strong message to those criminals holding the mistaken belief that they can come to our town to commit crime.
“We will track you down and use all means at our disposal to ensure you are held to account for your conduct and – quite simply – reinforce the fact that crime does not pay.”
The cash was also seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act and a further hearing is scheduled for November 9.
