A SOUTHAMPTON businessman used the restaurant he ran with his brother as a front to launder money made from peddling drugs.

Today Jehangir Beg was starting a 21-year sentence after he admitted heading a drugs gang that dealt heroin and cocaine in London.

Kingston Crown Court heard how Beg, 33, was arrested at his home in Claremont Crescent, South-ampton, after evidence was obtained linking him to a drugs seizure in Harrow.

The raid netted ten kilos of heroin, half a kilo of cocaine and 3.5 kilos of amphetamine sulphate.

CCTV evidence was also seized showing Beg directing the counting of a substantial quantity of cash.

Police were able to calculate the stash of money to be £86,000 through a money counting machine capable of counting 200 notes per minute. The cash was hidden in a computer.

During his arrest, which involved Hampshire police, evidence was recovered implicating Jehangir's brother Imran Beg in the laundering of cash.

Further investigation showed the brothers had been using the family restaurant Jenghis, in Bargate Street, Southampton, to launder the cash. Imran was charged with money laundering.

The pair appeared at Kingston Crown Court to be sentenced yesterday with the rest of their gang, who were in total jailed for 45 years.

Jehangir Beg pleaded guilty to conspiracies regarding the supply of class A and B drugs and money laundering. He was sentenced to 21 years.

Imran Beg, 31, admitted money laundering. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Fellow defendants included Issa Elaaber, 21, from Collingdale, London, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was sentenced to five years in jail.

Jamil Sardar, 29, of South Harrow, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to supply class A drugs and money laundering and was sentenced to 17 years.

Melia Uddin 24, of Brookfield Court, pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to 16 months.