A CONMAN who fled the UK after being convicted of a £500,000 number plate fraud has flaunted his new pet -- a Siberian tiger -- on Facebook.
Zahid Khan, 33, fled to Dubai during his trial last year. He is seen playing with a a rare Siberian tiger in a new Facebook post, BirminghamLive reported on Wednesday (6).
In the video he plays with the cute baby tiger and says "look at the claws coming out" before telling him "good boy."
He posted: "Who likes my new pet always told you I was different, you like the Siberian white Tiger.
"Scars don’t come easy they come and stay for life every scar has a story behind it. We been bought up in a jungle we can handle any habitat you leave us in."
Khan, who lived in Moseley, Birmingham, was allowed to keep his passport during the trial in the summer of 2018. He fled during the proceedings, and in a video posted on his Facebook page, Khan apologised for leaving the country.
"Sorry, I had no choice," said Khan in his message to Judge Philip Parker, QC.
"I am making this video to let you know I am very sorry, I did not want to do what I did, but I felt like I had no other choice.
"Had I stayed in the UK, I was not having no justice and the only safest option I had was to leave this country."
Two brothers and a cousin were jailed for their part in the number plate scam. Khan and his brother were also given additional 30-month sentences for smuggling illegal immigrants into the UK.
Khan was convicted in his absence of conspiracy to commit fraud, perverting the course of justice, plus concealing and converting criminal property.
Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynolds tour the Royal Opera House in London
