TWO Lewisham money launderers have been jailed after an elderly man was tricked into paying £223,000 which they claimed was for an aeroplane.

The pair were part of a complex plot involving five men who conned the 83-year-old victim into parting with the cash and were sentenced on April 26.

Probation officer Samuel Kofi Sey, aged 52, of Evans Road, was sentenced to two years in prison and 240 hours community payback for transferring criminal property and acquiring criminal property.

Wynette Cameron, aged 45, of Evans Road, was sentenced to two years in prison and 200 hours community payback for acquiring criminal property and two counts of transferring criminal property.

The victim, who has since died, was persuaded to pay £223,459 to now defunct solicitors firm Chetty and Co before being transferred to Majestic Aviation SA Ltd and later divided between the defendants.

When police arrested the criminals, they presented false documentation to say the victim had bought an aircraft from the US.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Idonesit Essien, of the Met’s criminal finances team, said: "Money laundering is a serious crime.

“These so-called professional people committed these offences with the sole motivation of their own financial benefit, having no care for the impact on the victim."

The Met’s criminal finances team unravelled the transactions behind the money laundering leading to the arrests. All five were previously found guilty by a jury at Kingston Crown Court on March 27.

They are now subject to a financial investigation with a view to gaining a confiscation order.