A former Metropolitan Police officer who abused his position to assist a criminal network in laundering £5 million has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Neil Sinclair, 62, was found to have provided confidential police information and facilitated the transfer of illicit funds across the UK and the United Arab Emirates over a five-year period.
Between February 2016 and March 2021, Sinclair helped move £1.5 million to the UAE and more than £3.5 million within the UK under the direction of an organised crime group based in Dubai. The offences occurred while he was both a serving officer and later a member of police staff.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation into Sinclair’s activities in September 2020 after a referral from the Metropolitan Police. He was charged the following year and, in June 2025, pleaded guilty to three counts of misconduct in public office and two counts of entering into an arrangement to facilitate the acquisition, retention, or control of criminal property.
Sinclair had originally stood trial with six other defendants who were not part of any police force but faced related money laundering charges. Following his guilty pleas, he was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 31 October 2025.
Amanda Rowe, director of the IOPC, described Sinclair’s conduct as “a deliberate and prolonged pattern of criminal behaviour.” She said: “The police are responsible for disrupting and dismantling organised criminal gangs, but this officer chose to join them. He played a key role in a substantial money laundering operation and abused his position to provide the gang with confidential police information. This was a profound breach of the trust placed in him by both the public and the force.”
Sinclair retired from the Metropolitan Police in 2017 but returned as a member of police staff in 2019. He was formally dismissed in October 2021 following the conclusion of misconduct proceedings.
The IOPC said the case demonstrated the seriousness with which corruption within law enforcement is treated and highlighted the importance of maintaining public confidence in policing. Rowe added that Sinclair’s sentence “sends a strong message that facilitating criminal activity will not be tolerated.”
The investigation is one of several in recent years that have uncovered instances of police corruption involving the misuse of information systems for criminal purposes. Authorities have continued to stress the need for robust vetting and monitoring processes to prevent similar breaches of trust in future.
