Kuldip Badesha, 46, from Kent, used her powers at HMRC to write letters and produce fake national insurance numbers, as well as signatures.

She would then pass these details onto her husband who opened 85 bank accounts which he laundered £3m through between 2015-18.

When investigators were looking into Badesha, they discovered she was living well beyond her means, leasing a Bentley and going on expensive holidays. The average salary for a HMRC compliance office is between £27,000 and £34,000.

Badesha’s husband, Ranbir Singh, was previously jailed for kidnap in 2008 for 11 years, although he left prison on license in June 2014.

They married in 2013 when Singh was on weekend release, however Badesha did not notify HMRC about the marriage or change her name.

The source of the money has not been identified yet; however financial advisor Stewart Mark Groves has been linked to some of the cash. The advisor was previously jailed for fraud in 2019 after taking over £800,000 from one of his clients, former England footballer, Gary Cahill.

Ben Rollins, internal investigations, head of anti-corruption at HMRC said: ‘This was an appalling breach of trust from Kuldip Badesha. She abused her position to help her husband launder millions of pounds. Money laundering allows criminals to profit from the misery they inflict on their victims and often funds even more serious crimes.

‘We are absolutely committed to the highest level of integrity and will track down the tiny minority who let us all down by falling short of those standards.’

The pair pleaded guilty to their charges on 16 September 2024 at Southwark Crown Court, with Badesha being handed a 14-month sentence for misconduct in public office, suspended for 18 months.

Singh pleaded guilty to converting criminal property and transferring criminal property, receiving a prison term of six years.