Serious Crime and Fraud Defence Specialist. Recommended in the Legal 500 in 2021, 2022, 2023 , 2024
Areas of Specialisation
Unan almost 20 years’ experience representing clients charged with the most of serious criminal offences having joined the firm in 2005. He has considerable experience dealing with the full spectrum of criminal matters ranging from general criminal allegations to the most serious, high profile, complex cases of International Fraud, Extradition, Sexual Offences, Murder and Terrorism. He trained with the firm and is currently the head of our East London Office. He specialises in large scale multi-handed handed cases which often involve several thousands of pages of prosecution evidence. He is currently instructed in 2 VHCC (very high cost cases) that cumulatively have over half a million pages of served prosecution evidence. Examples of recent instructions include Operation Volcanic and Operation Skirp. Operation Volcanic is the largest ever fraud committed on the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) over £80 million in Universal Credit fraud. Operation Skirp is the highest profile espionage case being prosecuted in the UK in recent times and involves allegations of organised crime groups spying on the UK and other EU countries on behalf of the Russian state. He is also currently representing two clients out of five charged in a gang related murder in East London. He has been described by his contemporary’s as ‘one of the brightest solicitors around (Legal 500 2022). Unan is a fluent Bengali speaker and as such he is often to ‘go-to’ lawyer within the Bangladeshi community.
NOTABLE CASES
In recent years Unan has been instructed to defend in some of the most significant and high profile cases in the country.
Operation Volcanic
£80 million DWP fraud. Largest fraud of its kind ever prosecuted.
Operation Skirp
5 defendant espionage case. Bulgarian sleeper cell accused of acting as spies for the Russian state.
Operation Khamsin
Southwark Crown Court
6 defendant complex conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering trial lasting approximately 5 months at Southwark CC.
Operation Spruce
Blackfriars Crown Court
10 defendant conspiracy to steal and money laundering case at Blackfriars Crown Court. Client acquitted following 6 week trial
Reported in the Daily Mail and Sun newspapers but articles removed following Court Order due to inaccurate and sensationalist reporting. (copies of articles are available on request as have been served on defence)
Operation Dreadnought
Liverpool Crown Court
20 defendant conspiracy to supply class A drugs in the North of England – described as Britain’s biggest cocaine bust.
Greg Fishwick 5 KBW instructed
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9274176/britain-biggest-cocaine-bust-20-million-drug-motorway/
Operation Glen Falls
Snaresbrook Crown Court
29 defendant case spilt into 3 trials. Perverting the Course of Justice EMS Staff tampering with offenders tags for exchange of money
media
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42135107
Operation Linstock
Snaresbrook Crown Court
Representing 4 individuals involved in multi-handed case (20+ defendants) conspiracy to supply class a drugs (drugs lines in East London)
Media
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/11/police-arrest-43-and-seize-weapons-and-drugs-in-east-london
Operation Vitelius
Snaresbrook Crown Court
10million pound conspiracy to defraud case whereby the defendants are alleged to have obtained and sold UK bank account details on an industrial scale. Case involves the allegation that several fraudulent websites were established to ‘harvest’ banking details of unsuspecting members of the public. Very complex case involving IT and other forensic experts. Several thousand pages of evidence served
Operation Elite
15 defendant conspiracy to import cocaine Kingston cc
Operation Callanish
18 defendant conspiracy to supply class A drugs case snarebrook crown court
R v U & others - Isleworth Crown Court – 10 defendant ‘reverse people trafficking’ case. First prosecution of its kind involving the trafficking of people out of the UK. Investigation started as part of a News of The World (Fake Sheikh) undercover sting as is a multi-agency operation investigated by the UKBA, SO15and Kent Constabulary
R v S & others – Old Bailey – multi-handed Murder
R v M & others – Old Bailey – 6 defendant 20 count indictment included Bank Robbery, Cash in Transit Robbery and Possession of Firearms
R v A – Old Bailey – Terrorism
R v C & Others – Kingston Crown Court – Multi-handed Cash in Transit Robbery
R v G & others – Harrow Crown Court - £2 million conspiracy to defraud
R v O & others – Old Bailey – 7 defendant multi-million pound conspiracy to defraud
R v A – Warwick Crown Court – Fraudulent evasion of duty - £10 million (cigarette smuggling)
R v I & others – Croydon Crown Court – 6 defendant importation of 500 kilos of Heroin
R v F & others – Conspiracy to supply multiple kilos of cocaine that was of 99% purity
R v I & others Snaresbrook Crown Court – 20 defendant conspiracy to supply class A drugs undercover police officers in East London
R v G & others Blackfriars Crown Court – 15 defendant conspiracy to supply class A drugs – Unan’s client was arrested by the Borough Commander who was on route to address the media about the police operation
R v B – Blackfriars Crown Court – 23 count indictment – Historic sexual offences against 6 different victims
R v P – Snaresbrook Crown Court – 32 Count indictment – Historic sexual offences
R v D – Old Bailey – city trader accused of rape
R v A & others - Snaresbrook Crown Court – 6 defendant conspiracy to Kidnap and GBH
Top Ranked Lawyers: Legal 500
Celebrating 40 years of practice in 2022, we are leaders in criminal defence, serious fraud, serious crime and many other areas of legal practice. We have been involved in many leading cases over the last 40+ years and are well known for our genuinely high acquittal rate and overall success rate. Please click the Legal 500 logo below for more information about our rankings.
