A fraudster from Belvedere is behind bars after he was convicted of charges which involved him laundering almost a million pounds in a year through dodgy bank cards and dating scams.

Babatunde Adu’s house was searched last October in a police crackdown on card fraudsters after intelligence suggested he had used compromised cards to buy £15,000 of electronic goods and sell them on.

Officers found credit cards and fraudulent documents, including a driving licence with Adu’s picture but a different name.

When police researched that name, they found a bank card used in 2015 to receive £50,000 from a dating fraud.

As the investigation continued, they found £900,000 in a bank account during the previous year.

Last week, Adu – of Ripley Road in Belvedere – was found guilty of disguising criminal property at Inner London Crown Court.

He had already admitted charges of converting criminal property, fraud by false representation and possession of a fraudulently obtained identification document.

The 38-year-old was sentenced to six years and four months in prison.

Detective Constable Damian Ward, of the dedicated card and payment crime unit, said: “Adu was a career fraudster who had falsely obtained money through a variety of means and I am delighted with this conviction.

“This sentence should send a message to any would-be fraudsters that you will be caught and punished.”