An organised crime gang has been brought to justice after orchestrating a sophisticated car theft operation resulting in the loss of over £2 million worth of vehicles, including luxury brands like Porsches, Mercedes, and BMWs.
Operating between February 2020 and July 2022, the gang devised a fraudulent scheme involving the creation of fake credit agreements for financed cars using counterfeit identity documents. These falsified documents were then distributed to individuals, dubbed ‘strikers,’ who were tasked with collecting the vehicles.
In total, 75 cars were stolen as part of the operation, prompting a comprehensive investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary, which culminated in the sentencing of 16 individuals involved in the scheme.
Among the primary offenders identified by the authorities were Ammir Mukhtar, Mukhtar Ibrahim, Emmanuel Dwamena, Samad Miah, and Sadiq Miah, who received various custodial sentences for charges including fraud by false representation and theft of motor vehicles.
Additionally, Gerado Ortiz and Hassan Kijenyi, who arranged false MOT documentation, were handed suspended custodial sentences after admitting to fraud by false representation.
Detective Sergeant Will Daglish of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Specialist Investigation Team highlighted the elaborate nature of the fraud, emphasizing the gang’s utilization of fake identities and documentation to purchase high-value vehicles from dealerships across the UK.
He stated, “The gang organisers paid lower ranking drivers to collect and deliver the vehicles, after which they would totally reidentify the stolen vehicles, to trick unsuspecting buyers and make it harder to reclaim the cars once the ruse was uncovered.
The ‘strikers’ involved in collecting the stolen cars also faced legal consequences, with individuals like Mohammed Jeilani, Leroy Gayle, Jamarl Lambert, Henry Galloway, Eamon Hannigan, Martin Herbert, Ahmed Omer Ali, and James Layzell receiving sentences ranging from imprisonment to suspended custodial sentences and community orders.
Jon Radford, head of intelligence, investigations, and data services at the Insurance Fraud Bureau, commended the collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies and insurer members in bringing the perpetrators to justice. He urged the public to remain vigilant against identity theft and report any suspicious activity to the bureau’s confidential CheatLine.
The successful prosecution of the organised crime gang serves as a testament to the dedication of law enforcement in combatting sophisticated criminal enterprises and protecting communities from financial harm.
