Cash-for-crash fraudsters jailed

Three cash-for-crash fraudsters have been jailed for a total of 11 years.

Kamsan Mahmood, Peter Charlery and Istafa Hussain were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud at Luton Crown Court earlier this month.

The Bedfordshire fraudsters were members of a crime ring that staged traffic accidents then filed false claims.

The sentencings come after a Bedfordshire Police investigation carried out over five years.

Operation Exhort resulted in 33 defendants pleading guilty to offences linked to the £5.3 million insurance and mortgage fraud. The remaining five pleaded not guilty at two separate trials. Four have been convicted and one acquitted. A further eight people were cautioned for their involvement in the crime.

CPS Thames and Chiltern prosecutor Frances Bush said: “Many of the 37 offenders involved in the ‘cash for crash’ and mortgage fraud were supposedly respectable people who thought they were above the law, and that they could make vast sums of money through this criminal activity and get away with it.

"The police and CPS will robustly investigate and prosecute fraudsters and their money and assets will be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act to ensure that they do not benefit from their crimes.

"Crime doesn’t pay!"

Insurance Fraud Bureau director Glen Marr said: “The insurance industry does not and will not tolerate fraud. It has an impact on the cost of insurance for genuine consumers and the industry is committed to rooting out, and bringing to justice, those criminals who target insurers."