Tahir Syed, 42, kidnapped and murdered ‘singing bus driver’ uncle Asghar Badshah over ‘perceived debt’
Victim was beaten 48 times with blunt object before naked body was hidden behind FALSE WALL for a month
Drug kingpin fled to Amsterdam, Albania and Turkey where he continued running cocaine empire
Judge tells monster he’ll be ‘elderly man’ when released after minimum 34 years behind bars
An international drug trafficker described as “one of Britain’s biggest crime bosses” has been jailed for life after kidnapping, torturing, and murdering his uncle over missing drug money before fleeing the country.
Tahir Syed, 42, of St Johns View, Halifax, brutally killed his uncle Asghar Badshah, 39, known as Bradford’s “singing bus driver”, in a disused Yorkshire Bank vault after wrongly believing he had stolen £600,000 in drug money.
The victim’s naked, beaten body was discovered a month later behind a false wall that had been built to conceal the horrific crime, while Syed had already fled to Turkey where he continued running his £125million cocaine and heroin empire.
THE SINGING BUS DRIVER
Asghar Badshah was an “honest, hard-working family man” who earned his living driving buses in Bradford, where he was known for singing to passengers. His family described him as devoted to his community and someone who “stayed away from criminality”.
The 39-year-old had no idea that the £600,000 his nephew asked him to hide was drug money. Taking advantage of his uncle’s good nature, Syed had asked him to store the cash in a vehicle in his mother’s garage – but when it went missing, the drug lord’s paranoia and greed turned murderous.
In terrified messages sent to his nephew before his death, Asghar wrote: “I’m in fear for my life. I couldn’t sleep all night, I’m shaking writing these messages. Please let me sit the lie detector and show it’s not me. I never went near the garage and don’t want to be involved in your dealings and never did.”
THE TORTURE CHAMBER
On November 29, 2019, after finishing his shift at Brighouse bus station, Asghar made his way to Syed’s mother’s address in Mayo Road, Bradford. There he was bundled into a Mercedes and driven to a disused Yorkshire Bank on Commercial Street in Batley.
The abandoned bank, owned by an “associate” of Syed’s, had been turned into a torture chamber. Judge Tom Bayliss KC told Leeds Crown Court the kidnapping was “meticulously planned”.
Once inside the vault, Asghar was subjected to a sustained and brutal attack. A post-mortem examination revealed he was struck at least 48 times with a blunt object – on his head, neck, torso, and all four limbs.
Detective Chief Superintendent Heather Whoriskey said: “Syed kidnapped, tortured and murdered his own uncle for information as he believed that Asghar had stolen money from him.
HIDING THE HORROR
After murdering his uncle, Syed wrapped the naked body in cloth and hid it on a shelving unit inside the vault. In a chilling attempt to ensure the body would never be found, he arranged for a false wall to be built with plasterboard on the staircase leading down to the vault.
For 30 agonising days, Asghar’s identical twin brother and family searched for him after reporting him missing. All the while, Syed lied to them, claiming his uncle was still alive.
It wasn’t until December 29, 2019 – a full month after the murder – that police finally discovered Asghar’s body behind the false wall.
INTERNATIONAL FUGITIVE
Just days after the murder, on December 5, 2019, Syed fled the UK. His escape route took him first to Amsterdam, then Albania, and finally to Turkey, where he used a false North Macedonian passport.
But fleeing justice didn’t stop his criminal empire. From his hideouts abroad, Syed continued orchestrating massive drug shipments into the UK. His crime group arranged for shipments of up to 200 kilos of cocaine and heroin to be smuggled into Britain.
Some were intercepted, including 155 kilos of cocaine seized by Dutch authorities in August 2020, but many got through. The National Crime Agency revealed Syed’s operation involved an estimated 5,129kg (five tonnes) of cocaine and heroin with a wholesale value of £125.7million.
THE FROZEN CHICKEN EMPIRE
Since 2017, Syed had been masterminding the importation and sale of Class A drugs hidden inside frozen chicken in an attempt to evade detection. His operation involved more than 30 shipments between 2016 and 2021.
Julian Briggs of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Tahir Syed was a significant player in the international drug trafficking trade of cocaine and heroin. He was a seasoned criminal with extensive networks in this country and abroad.”
To the wider community, Syed was thought of as a “pillar of the community” – but his inner circle knew the terrifying truth about what he was capable of.
JUSTICE AT LAST
After two years on the run, Syed was finally arrested in Turkey in November 2021. Following a lengthy extradition battle, he was brought back to the UK in April 2024 to face justice.
On June 9, 2025, a jury at Leeds Crown Court found him guilty of murder, conspiracy to kidnap, two counts of conspiracy to import heroin, and two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine. He had earlier admitted conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Judge Bayliss told Syed: “This perceived debt was about more than just money, it was about Syed’s reputation and role as an international drug trafficker.
Sentencing him to life with a minimum term of 34 years and 154 days, the judge added: “You will be an elderly man” by the time of any potential release.
FAMILY’S AGONY
In a heartbreaking statement, Asghar’s family said: “The loss we feel as a family is beyond words. The pain we endure each day, the hurt, and the emptiness left behind by these traumatic events have left a permanent mark on all of us. We carry a deep and lasting sorrow that time will never fully heal.”
They revealed that Asghar’s mother died just two years after his murder, unable to cope with the loss of her son.
The family praised the “painstaking evidence gathering” by West Yorkshire Police and the National Crime Agency, adding: “After five and a half years of unwavering patience and perseverance, the justice we have finally received is a testament to the strength and unity of our family.
OTHER CONVICTIONS
Due to reporting restrictions, the full extent of the case could only be revealed now. Previously, Qaisar Shah, 40, of Mayo Crescent, Bradford, was convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to kidnap in relation to Asghar’s death.
Three other men from Surrey were also involved in the kidnapping, highlighting the extensive network Syed commanded in his criminal empire.
Detective Chief Superintendent Whoriskey said: “Today’s sentence is the culmination of years of hard work. We would like to thank our partners at the National Crime Agency for assisting us in bringing Syed back to this country to face his crimes.
As Tahir Syed begins his life sentence, the family of Asghar Badshah – the kind-hearted bus driver who only wanted to help his nephew – are left with memories of a beloved brother whose only crime was trusting the wrong person.
