Crime boss ‘Don Car-Leone’ has over £3.6m taken off him by the CPS
Alexander Surin, who has been dubbed ‘Don Car-Leone’ for his fleet of high-end luxury cars, has handed over more that £3.6m after being served with a Civil Recovery Order for illicit Bitcoin.
The convicted drug trafficker, fraudster and money launderer had claimed that the cryptocurrency was derived from legitimate gold trading and not through drug trafficking as claimed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
The CPS brought civil recovery proceedings against Surin after an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking operation which saw Surin’s associate, Christian Hargreaves plead guilty to conspiracy to supply a Class A drug and being sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court.
Police traced two cryptocurrency transactions from Hargreaves to a wallet held in Surin’s name, which was subjected to a High Court freezing order in 2022.
During proceedings Surin claimed that the Bitcoin had been made through legitimate means, including gold trading through the Souks of Dubai where he has had a residence since 2011. However, very little evidence was offered by Surin to show any history of legitimate trading gold bullion, and his financial records were thin on the ground.
Passing judgement, Mr Justice Mould said that the evidence that Surin knew that he was dealing with Hargreaves and laundering the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking was compelling.
The CPS pursued the Bitcoin through “non-conviction based” civil proceedings in the High Court, which allow the CPS to pursue the proceeds of crime without Surin (who was not within the UK to be prosecuted) being convicted of Money laundering. The Bitcoin has since been sold and over £3.6m has been returned to the public purse.
A decade ago, Surin was forced to surrender to the NCA:- three Ferraris, a Bugatti Veyron, and a Rolls-Royce, which had £800,000 in cash in the boot, after admitting they had been purchased using the proceeds of crime.
Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, said: “Surin knew that the Bitcoin he was accepting came from a known drug trafficker, and was the proceeds of crime.
“He has a long-standing history of money laundering and using the proceeds to fund his lifestyle, both in the UK and more recently in Dubai.
“We can robustly pursue the proceeds of crime in both the criminal and civil courts, no matter where in the world the assets are held."
These proceedings we brought in a collaboration between the Crown Prosecution Service and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU).
Detective Chief Inspector Darren Brown, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “This is a huge amount of money to be put back into society.
“This result shows we don’t just stop at jail time for criminals. Our highly skilled and dedicated Financial Investigators will pursue them even after their sentences are finished, to secure money they made from their illegal activity, and take away their assets to ensure it is all paid back.
“Working together with CPS and other partners, we are committed to ensuring justice is served in all ways possible.”
Notes to editors
- Alexander Surin (AKA Michael Boparan, DOB: 02/09/1965) was subject to a Civil Recovery Order seizing 78.22545 Bitcoin.
- This Bitcoin was converted by Coinbase Kenya, resulting in a recovery of £3,640,192 which was paid to the CPS on the 3 June 2025, returning it to the public purse.
- The proceeds of crime can be recovered in civil proceedings in the High Court against property which can be shown to have come from “unlawful conduct” making it “realisable property”. Civil Recovery can be used when it is not possible to obtain a conviction, or a conviction is obtained but a confiscation order is not made, or the public interest will be better served by using civil recovery rather than by seeking a confiscation order. This will include where suspects have gone abroad to escape an investigation, or the offending has taken place overseas so it cannot be prosecuted in UK courts
- The East Midlands Special Operations Unit is a specialist unit of officers and staff from Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Nottinghamshire police forces tackling the most serious, organised, and violent crime, countering terrorism and extremism and providing forensic services on behalf of the region.