A rookie police officer has been kicked out of the force after she was caught accessing confidential data and sharing it with her drug dealer boyfriend. PC Maryam Ilyas, 20, used police computers to dig up information on her criminal lover, his family, and his associates before lying about the relationship when her shocking behavior was uncovered, reports The Sun.
Ilyas, who was based in Leeds, resigned in shame ahead of a disciplinary hearing yesterday where she would have been fired on the spot, the misconduct panel ruled. Her career in ruins, the disgraced officer admitted to a string of allegations including failing to declare the relationship on her vetting form in June 2024.
The young cop's world came crashing down in July when officers who arrested her boyfriend – named only as Mr J – found incriminating phone messages including pictures of wads of cash and chats about drugs. Ilyas was also found to have disclosed information about a covert police operation and scoured restricted computers three times.
Despite the damning evidence, the panel revealed that Ilyas had continued messaging her drug dealer beau until the month of his arrest. Panel chair Catherine Hankinson delivered a scathing verdict on the former officer's conduct, saying: "The public rightly expect police officers to act with honesty and integrity. The vast majority of officers in West Yorkshire Police do uphold those high standards. The conduct of the former officer does a disservice to the public and to her colleagues."
In a brazen attempt to deny wrongdoing, Ilyas told The Sun before the hearing: "I was a student officer. I was really new to all this and I feel like I was expected to know everything straight away." However, her flimsy excuses held no water with the panel, which found her guilty of gross misconduct.
Astonishingly, the Wakefield hearing turned down The Sun's application to name Ilyas' drug dealer boyfriend, claiming it was not in the public interest. The decision has raised eyebrows among those who believe the public has a right to know the identity of criminals, especially when they are involved with police officers.
The shocking case has left West Yorkshire Police reeling, with senior officers scrambling to reassure the public that Ilyas' behavior is not representative of the force as a whole. The incident has also raised questions about the vetting process for new recruits and whether more needs to be done to prevent those with criminal connections from joining the police.
As the dust settles on this sordid affair, one thing is clear – PC Maryam Ilyas' short-lived career in the police has ended in utter disgrace, and her betrayal of the public trust will not be forgotten anytime soon.
