An award-winning, multi-millionaire Asian businessman has been jailed for nine years for his part in a £250m mobile phone fraud after a massive investigation lasting a decade.

Nasir Khan, 39, who ran a business in Chessington but owns a string of other luxury properties in the UK and Spain, was once estimated to have a personal fortune of £134.5m and was crowned Entrepreneur of the Year at the National Business Awards in 2002.

He donated to the Kingston Carnival and gave money to Crimestoppers.

But at the same time he was laundering huge amounts of money for a 15-strong gang who were running a carousel fraud importing and exporting mobile phones and skimming off the VAT from 2001 to 2003.

Khan's trial at Southwark Crown Court, which ended yesterday, was the sixth case brought by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) which is now looking at how it can recoup millions from Khan and his fellow conmen.

Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith, sentencing Khan said: “The level of profits were too great for you to resist. You had tried to paint yourself as a generous provider to charities and as a role model - in truth, you were nothing of the kind. You were close to the heart of the fraud and benefited greatly from it.”

Khan, who used to live with Strictly and Holby City star, Laila Rouass, owns a Lambourgini, Rolls Royce, Bentley and Mercedes among his fleet of luxury cars. His villa in Marbella is on the market for £5.m million. HMRC has already frozen £15m of his assets and is already preparing confiscation proceedings against him next year.

The gang, who have now all stood trial have been sentenced to a total of more than 90 years behind bars.

More than half a million documents and 130 computer hard drives were seized during the investigation which revealed who was involved and exactly how the fraud worked.

Offshore bank accounts were identified showing money being transferred from the UK and EU into accounts in Hong Kong, Pakistan and Dubai.

Khan's wealth apparently came from The Accessory People, a company he set up in Cox Lane, Chessington, in 1997.

He claimed that he started the business with just £2,000 in his pocket and boasted that he had made his first million by the age of 25.

While the fraud investigation was under way, Khan was charged with two counts of arson, arson with intent, threat to kill and a threat to cause criminal damage. But all charges against him were dropped in 2006. At the time a spokesman for Khan claimed the accusations were part of a vendetta against him.

Other members of the gang have already been found or pleaded guilty at the trials, dating back to September 2008.

Chris Martin, assistant director of criminal investigation at HMRC, said: "The scale of this operation was unprecedented when we carried out the initial raids in 2003. We had 350 officers visiting around 100 premises across the UK and Spain which led to the arrest of 42 people.

"VAT fraud is a serious crime which diverts vital income from the UK’s public services into the pockets of career criminals to fund their lavish and luxurious lifestyles."

The first trial of four defendants took place in September 2008 but court reporting restrictions meant the identities of all defendants and their sentences could not be revealed until now.

Among the other defendants was Dennis Hunter, 61, from Woburn Close, Wimbledon, who was given nine years on 26 November 2010.

Quentin Reynolds, 49, from Highgate, was given four-and-a-half years, and 41-year-old Marcus Hughes, of HMP Wandsworth, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to six years.

Mr Martin said: "This sends a clear signal to anyone involved or considering becoming involved in VAT fraud that the crime is serious and so are the penalties.”

To see more on this story and how Kingston politicians courted Khan for his cash for good causes see Friday's Surrey Comet.