An international drug trafficker described as "one of Britain's biggest crime bosses" has been jailed for life after kidnapping, torturing, and murdering his uncle and peddling tonnes of drugs.
Tahir Syed, 42 of St Johns View, Halifax, fled the country and went on the run after he murdered his Uncle Asghar Badshah over a "perceived debt".
The victim, Badshah, was 39 years old when he was murdered and an "honest, hard-working family man" and bus driver in Bradford.
He was found dead inside a vault in a disused Yorkshire Bank on Commercial Street in Batley on December 29, 2019.
Badshah suffered a brutal and sustained attack at the hands of Syed inside the bank vault and was discovered a month later by police after his family reported him missing.
A post-mortem examination found he was struck all over his body with a blunt object at least 48 times on his head, neck, torso, and all four limbs.
His body was found wrapped in a cloth and hidden on a shelving unit inside the vault. A false wall had also been built on the staircase leading down to the vault in a bid to prevent the body from being discovered.
Syed was arrested in Turkey in November 2021 and extradited back to the UK in April 2024.
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Tahir Syed
West Yorkshire Police
During the trial at Leeds Crown Court, it emerged that Syed believed that his uncle had stolen money from him.
Syed arranged for a lie detector test, and when he found out he had failed the test, he made a plan to kidnap and interrogate him.
Tahir Syed was found guilty of the murder of his uncle on Monday, June 9.
He was also found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, two counts of conspiracy to import heroin and two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine.
He previously admitted to conspiracy to possess criminal property.
The drug offences were led by the National Crime Agency.
Syed was sentenced today at Leeds Crown Court to life in prison with a minimum term of 34 years and 154 days.
His incarceration ends a lengthy and complex series of crimes involving the importation into the UK of an estimated 5,129kg (five tonnes) of cocaine and heroin with a wholesale value of £125.7million.
Asghar Badshah
Handout/GB News
Detective Chief Superintendent Heather Whoriskey, Senior Investigating Officer in the case, said: "Syed kidnapped, tortured and murdered his own uncle for information as he believed that Asghar had stolen money from him.
"This perceived debt was about more than just money; it was about Syed's reputation and role as an international drug trafficker.
"Syed was a professional criminal who would import and distribute huge amounts of cocaine and heroin. Shortly after the murder, Syed fled the country and continued to traffic drugs across the continent.
"Today's sentence is the culmination of years of hard work. We would like to thank our partners at the National Crime Agency for assisting us in bringing Syed back to this country to face his crimes.
"This has been a lengthy and trying ordeal for the family of Asghar Badshah. They have been courageous, patient and brave throughout the whole process.
"Although today’s sentence will never bring him back, I hope it gives his family some comfort and closure knowing that the man responsible for his death has been sentenced for his murder."
Badshah suffered a brutal and sustained attack at the hands of Syed inside the bank vault
West Yorkshire Police
Over the last five and a half years, numerous trials have taken place in relation to this murder and kidnap investigation, but due to reporting restrictions, the outcome of this case could only be reported yesterday.
Previously, Qaisar Shah, aged 40 of Mayo Crescent, Bradford, was convicted of manslaughter, conspiracy to kidnap, and conspiracy to possess criminal property. He was jailed for 18 years in total.
Liam Buckley, 38, of Lynwood Crescent, Sunningdale, was convicted of conspiracy to kidnap and was jailed for 7 years and two months.
Sabbah Shahmuradi, 39, of Surrey was convicted on conspiracy to kidnap and jailed for 7 years and two months.
Wajid Hussain, 43, of William Street, Rochdale, was convicted of conspiracy to kidnap and jailed for 4 years and two months.
Sobia Syed, 41, of Henna Close, was convicted on conspiracy to possess criminal property. She was given a two-year jail sentence, suspended for two years.
Wajid Hussain
West Yorkshire Police
Before his arrest, Tahir Syed continued to run his drug trafficking empire, and his crime group arranged for huge shipments of up to 200 kilos of cocaine and heroin to be smuggled into the UK.
Some of the shipments were seized by law enforcement, including 155 kilos of cocaine seized by the Dutch authorities in August 2020.
Syed was arrested in Turkey on 11 November 2021 following a global manhunt, and after fighting extradition for two years, was brought back to the UK to stand trial.
Nigel Coles, National Crime Agency senior investigating officer, said: "We have successfully prosecuted and gained significant custodial sentences against individuals at every level of this crime group, dismantling Syed's large-scale international operation from top to bottom.
"And justice has now been served to one of Britain's biggest crime bosses. This result is a culmination of extensive investigations led by teams here at the NCA and at West Yorkshire Police.
"I hope Syed's conviction provides some sense of justice to the family of Asghar Badshah, who sadly had his life taken by a man who would stop at nothing to protect his criminal empire."
Qaisar Shah
West Yorkshire Police
The family of Asghar Badshah have released an emotional statement following the sentencing.
They said: "The loss we feel as a family is beyond words. The pain we endure each day, the hurt, and the emptiness left behind by these traumatic events have left a permanent mark on all of us. We carry a deep and lasting sorrow that time will never fully heal.
"After five and a half years of unwavering patience and perseverance, the justice we have finally received is a testament to the strength and unity of our family.
"The grief we carry is incomprehensible. During the trial, the court heard the truth about our beloved brother, Asghar Badshah - an honest, hard-working family man who served his community as a bus driver in the very place where he was born and raised.
"He stayed away from criminality and was brutally murdered in cold blood by a wicked individual with a long history of harming others."
The family said they were also "profoundly grateful" to West Yorkshire Police and the National Crime Agency for their tireless work and dedication in ensuring that the case reached court.
They also thanked the Crown Prosecution Service and added: "The conclusion of this painful trial today stands as proof that justice can prevail, even in the face of such unimaginable loss."
In addition, the family said: "We would like to thank Mr Wright KC and his team, Mr Clegg and Miss Clegg as well as the Honourable Judge Bayliss KC for his excellent adjudication, attention to detail, and impartiality throughout.
"We would like to thank the jury for listening to the evidence and convicting him on what they heard throughout the trial.
"They were not fazed by the dishonesty of Syed after spinning a web of lies to hoodwink them to his narrative.
"The whole HMET team at West Yorkshire Police made our justice possible, and we can never repay them the full extent of our gratitude.
"The painstaking evidence gathering, the hard work involved in finding Tahir Syed abroad after he evaded justice in the UK, as well as the two-year saga of extradition back to England to face justice."
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