Two Oldham taxi drivers worked hard to bring in money to support their wives and young families — but they had a secret sideline which earned them far more, a court was told.
Zayarit Mahmood (42) and Javid Iqbal (37) were loan sharks, running an illegal money lending business which netted the pair in the region of £200,000 over a period of just over 10 years.
Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard how the two men, who themselves were addicted to gambling, targeted other men hooked by the chance of making a fast buck on the turn of a card or the spin of the roulette wheel. They “stalked” local casinos eager to lend ready cash to those whose luck had run out, and to collect debts from winners who were temporarily flush with money.
