A TOWN councillor is facing jail after admitting £90,000 money laundering charges.

In 2008, Nelson town councillor Mohammed Ansar’s sons, Shamraiz and Khobibe, were jailed for six years, and four years and four months respectively, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply the Class A drug, heroin.

Following the convictions, police launched an investigation to establish the extent of their ill-gotten gains, which identified that their parents and siblings owned a number of properties, and had large sums of ‘unidentified’ money passing through their accounts.

Ansar, 49, was later charged with five counts of money laundering relating to the purchase of properties, and money that could not be traced to a legitimate source.

The defendant, who is a former borough councillor, appeared at Burnley Crown Court this week where he pleaded guilty to five counts of disguising, converting, or transferring criminal property, between 2005 and 2007.

However, he said the money laundered related to tax evasion and ‘other criminality’ and that he did not know it represented the proceeds of drug dealing.

DC Stuart Haigh, of the regional asset recovery team, said: “This result is the culmination of a long, protracted and complex investigation conducted by officers of the Proceeds of Crime Unit covering three years.

“It has involved the identification of some 30 to 35 properties located around the Burnley area, the examination of over 120 bank accounts, and working in close co-operation with a number of partner agencies, including Pendle Council, UK Border Agencies and HM Revenue and Customs.”

The defendant, of St Paul’s Road, Nelson, will be sentenced on April 21.

A separate hearing in relation to confiscating his assets, under the Proceeds of Crime Act, is scheduled for October 2011.

Amer Ansar, 23, Sohail Ansar, 30, Raqiya Ansar, 50, and Sadiya Ansar, 25, all of St Paul’s Road, denied money laundering allegations and the counts against them are set to be left to lie on the file.

Chairman of Nelson Town Council George Adam yesterday said he expected Ansar to stand down with immediate effect.