West Ealing Loan Shark Ordered to Repay £170,000

Financial crime specialist ran operation from home in Bradley Gardens

The case was heard at the Inner London Crown Court. Picture: IMLT

A West Ealing man who worked professionally as an anti-money-laundering specialist but secretly operated as a loan shark has been ordered to hand over almost £170,000 of criminal profit following a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.

Dharmendra Devji Solanki, 59, admitted charges of illegal money lending and money laundering last year and received a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Inner London Crown Court in June 2025. He returned to the same court on 11 March this year, where a judge ruled that he must repay £169,941.89 within three months or face a further three-year jail term. The court also ordered him to pay more than £13,000 in costs.

The case was brought by the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT), working in partnership with Ealing Council Trading Standards and the Metropolitan Police. Investigators found that Solanki, despite being a qualified financial crime professional, had been running an unauthorised credit business from his home in Bradley Gardens, West Ealing, between November 2018 and his arrest in May 2022.

When officers searched his property, they seized an Apple MacBook containing his CV, which described him as “Financial Crime CAMS Qualified” — a reference to the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist accreditation. Prosecutors told the court that Solanki “knew more than most” about financial regulations and used that knowledge to exploit vulnerable borrowers.

The investigation uncovered loans totalling more than £400,000, with interest rates of 10–20%, and an estimated return of £440,000–£480,000. Borrowers described unpredictable interest demands, intimidation and pressure. One woman, who needed to send money to family in the Philippines, borrowed £1,000 and repaid £1,350 in three instalments — and was required to hand over her passport. Another borrower received threatening messages when he fell behind, including warnings that the situation would “impact you personally and your career”.

Dave Benbow, head of the IMLT, said the case demonstrated the team’s determination to ensure illegal lenders do not profit from their crimes.

“This lender knew exactly what he was doing,” he said. “He acted illegally, continued to lend money, and exploited people who trusted him. We welcome the court’s decision, which ensures he cannot continue to profit from his criminal behaviour. Whenever we prosecute illegal lenders, we pursue Proceeds of Crime action to strip them of the money they’ve made. This order sends a clear message: we will not tolerate illegal lending, and crime like this simply does not pay.”

At sentencing last year, Solanki received eight months’ imprisonment for illegal money lending and 16 months for money laundering, to run consecutively, though the total two-year term was suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete five days of rehabilitation activity and 120 hours of unpaid work.

The IMLT, known publicly as Stop Loan Sharks, is a national organisation hosted by Birmingham City Council that investigates illegal lenders and supports victims.

Anyone affected by illegal money lending can contact the Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 helpline on 0300 555 2222, use the live chat service at stoploansharks.co.uk (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm), or send a WhatsApp message to 07700 102773.