DC Collins was part of a team who investigated when the police received information that a fire at Speed Daal in December 2021 had been started deliberately. Their information was correct: Zeedan Nazir had found himself in financial troubles when he stole £50,000 from his London-based father-in-law Hashim Elamin after having an affair behind his daughter's back. The crooked Hashim expected recompense and demanded it in the form of Zeedan laundering ill-gotten funds through the Speed Daal books, supplying unreasonably large sums in ready cash with more on the way. When a large part of the cash was stolen, Hashim forced Zeedan to allow him to let his two sons to set fire to the premises making it clear that his unsuspecting gran Yasmeen Metcalfe would suffer if he didn't agree.
Collins's colleague DC Wallis, took in all the shareholders - Yasmeen, Alya Nazir and Elaine Jones - for questioning about what they knew, though only Alya possessed knowledge of what had actually transpired. DC Collins interviewed her but the young woman kept her cool and denied starting the fire, only showing concern when Collins made a comment to the effect that they would be investigating the business's accounts.
Events changed dramatically when Hashim died of a sudden heart attack in 6 Coronation Street whilst in the course of issuing further threats at Zeedan and Alya. She realised that they could use his death as a get-out and planted a set of the restaurant keys in his car, pointing suspicion his way as a revenge for Zeedan's affair with his daughter. Zeedan alleged that Hashim broke into the house to threaten them, dropping hints that Hashim made made comments that linked him to the fire. Investigating this turn of events, Wallis wondered why Zeedan hadn't mentioned Hashim's threats about the affair before, but the young men put on an innocent front, saying he simply hadn't made the connection himself.
Hashim's two sons were subsequently arrested for arson, but seemingly kept quiet about the money laundering, not wanting to further implicate themselves.