An organised crime gang stole more than £2 million worth of cars including Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs.
The group made fraudulent credit agreements for financed cars using fake identity documents.
They then gave these documents to men, known as ‘strikers’, who then collected the cars.
Between February 2020 and July 2022 the gang stole a total of 75 cars.
A total of 16 men have now been sentenced for their roles in the scheme.
Hertfordshire Constabulary identified the primary offenders in the gang as
- Ammir Mukhtar, 26, of Pretoria Road North, Tottenham, who was jailed for four years and 10 months for fraud by false representation.
- Mukhtar Ibrahim, 26, of Holcombe Road, Tottenham, was jailed for four years and six months for fraud by false representation.
- Emmanuel Dwamena, 36, of Cornworthy Road, Dagenham, was jailed for two years and six months for theft of a motor vehicle.
- Samad Miah, 28, of Yarmouth Crescent, Tottenham, was sentenced to two years and one month in prison for fraud by false representation.
- Sadiq Miah 27, of Yarmouth Crescent, Tottenham, was jailed for 14 months for fraud by false representation.
Gerado Ortiz, 31, of Como Street in Romford, and Hassan Kijenyi, 71, of Meanley Road in Manor Park, arranged false MOT documentation.
They each received two year custodial sentences, suspended for 18 months, after they admitted fraud by false representation.
Detective Sergeant Will Daglish, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Specialist Investigation Team, said: “The organised crime group formulated an elaborate fraud to purchase high value vehicles from dealerships across the UK, on finance agreements using fake identities and documentation.
“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’ who collected the car all pleaded guilty:
- Mohammed Jeilani, 36, of Rycroft Way in Tottenham, was jailed for 28 months for fraud by false representation
- Leroy Gayle, 42, of Mayville Road in Ilford, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years, banned from driving and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work for fraud and theft of a motor vehicle
- Jamarl Lambert, 32, of Eternit Walk in Fulham, was sentenced to 24 months suspended for two years, with a six-month curfew order, banned from driving and ordered to complete 200 hours' unpaid work for fraud and theft of a motor vehicle.
- Henry Galloway, 45, of Eldon Road, Kensington, was sentenced to 24 months suspended for two years, a rehabilitation activity requirement and a five-month curfew for theft of a motor vehicle.
- Eamon Hannigan, 52, of Barrowfield Close, Edmonton, was sentenced to 24 months, suspended for two years, and given a rehabilitation activity requirement and a five-month curfew for fraud and theft of motor vehicle.
- Martin Herbert, 53, of Yarmouth Crescent, Tottenham, was sentenced to 14 months, suspended for 18 months, for fraud by false representation.
- Ahmed Omer Ali, 39, of Great Amwell Lane, Ware, was sentenced to one year and six months suspended for 18 months, with six-month curfew order and a rehabilitation order for fraud by false representation.
- James Layzell, 31, of Baker Avenue, Chelmsford, was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months for fraud by false representation.
Jon Radford, head of intelligence, investigations and data services at the Insurance Fraud Bureau, said: “We're pleased to see justice has been served following one of our biggest ever investigations involving identity theft; in collaboration with Hertfordshire Constabulary, National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) and our insurer members.
"This shameless group of scammers stole the identities of hundreds of people to take out fraudulent insurance policies, without a regard for the impact on victims, in an elaborate bid to steal brand new cars through finance deals.
"Identity theft is a growing threat which results in real harm, as it facilitates a wide range of crimes. We encourage the public to be vigilant and if anyone thinks their personal info has been compromised for an insurance scam, to report it to our confidential CheatLine."
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