An Ipswich car ‘clocker’ has been told he must hand over £100,000 as proceeds of crime or face two years in prison

Described at his Ipswich Crown Court sentencing as a “very dishonest man” Hemen Adalat, of Star Lane, Ipswich, was convicted following a trial last year for selling a car with a false mileage.

Suffolk Trading Standards officers have now taken him back to court under the Proceeds of Crime Act. They successfully applied for the confiscation of £100,157 as Adalat was unable to account for the earnings being made from legitimate business.

If the 30-year-old fails to comply with the order by July he will face a two-year jail term. Adalat has also been ordered to pay £11,142 costs.

Officers have also been granted ownership of Adalat’s Jaguar XJ Luxury car worth £22,500 until he pays up, otherwise the vehicle will be auctioned.

After the hearing Colin Spence, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for public protection said: “Trading Standards have been a driving force to secure this confiscation.

“This case serves to show why it is important for Suffolk residents to become aware of the tactics used by scammers to dupe them out of their hard earned cash.”

Adalat was given a three-month prison term last year suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work as part of a community order.

Sentencing Adalat Judge John Devaux told him: “You are a deeply dishonest man

Adalat had advertised a BMW 3 series in Auto Trader and claimed it had done 42,000 miles when it had actually done 142,000 miles.

The car was purchased for £7,500 by a man who travelled to Ipswich to meet Adalat and paid him £3,000 cash.

Adalat asked for the balance of £4,500 to be paid using a card machine at a shop he said he co-owned.

He then took the money out of the till in stages.

The purchaser of the car subsequently sold the vehicle and its true mileage was discovered when the new owner did a check.

The man who bought the car from Adalat was left out of pocket by £2,000.

Adalat had used the money from the sale of the car to purchase another BMW.

Although he denied two offences of fraud by false representation and three offences of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property he was found guilty after a four day trial last April. The offences took place between December 2011 and June 2013.