Police found counterfeit banknotes in car when they were called to deal with incident in Oulton

Officers made the discovery after they arrested Hamid Taghi-Beglou on May 17 this year.

Leeds Crown Court heard officers were called to deal with an unrelated incident on Rothwell Lane, Oulton.

Holly Clegg, prosecuting, said Taghi-Beglou was arrested and his car was searched.

Counterfeit £20 banknotes to the value of £400 were found in the vehicle along with an amount of cannabis.

The prosecutor said: "The officers could tell immediately that it was counterfeit due to the feel and look of it and because the notes had the same serial numbers."

The 45-year-old defendant was interviewed and told officers the cannabis was for personal use.

He said the counterfeit cash had been given to him when he had recently sold a car to someone.

Taghi-Beglou, of Holden Road, London, pleaded guilty to possessing counterfeit currency and possessing cannabis.

Andrew Dallas, mitigating, said the defendant worked in a cash and carry and also bought and sold cars for a living.

Mr Dallas said, around two weeks before being arrested, Taghi-Beglou had tried to sell a car for a £700.

The person interested in buying the car handed him a bundle of notes.

Mr Dallas said £300 worth of notes at the top of the bundle were genuine but the defendant was not happy about the remaining notes.

The barrister said Taghi-Beglou threatened to call the police and the man then took the genuine notes and ran off, leaving him with the fake currency.

He added: "Instead of taking it to the police station, he put it in his glove compartment and more or less forgot about it."

Taghi-Beglou was made the subject of a 12-month community order and ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work.