Cash for crash fraudsters sentenced

Four insurance claims fraudsters have been sentenced after a joint operation between the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) and Greater Manchester Police.

On 2 May 2008 Mohammed Iqbal was driving an Air Blue aircrew to Manchester airport when his minibus was involved in a crash with another car.

Personal injury claims were made that suggested there were 17 people in the minibus at the time of the collision, including Mohammed Iqbal. The minibus only had a capacity of 14, including the driver.

Neither the aircrew nor Mohammed Iqbal were injured in the collision, Iqbal submitted a personal injury claim, along with eight other people who had never been present, including his wife, two sons and family friends.

Mohammed Iqbal (25/01/1950) of Skerton Road, Old Trafford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and was sentenced to a 150-hour community punishment order and ordered to pay £500 in legal costs.

Kauser Parveen (20/07/1961) of Skerton Road, Old Trafford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and was placed on a curfew between 7pm and 7am for three months.

Jehangir Iqbal (25/04/1980) of Skerton Road, Old Trafford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud. He was sentenced to seven and a half months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete a 200-hour community punishment order, pay £500 in costs and placed on a curfew between 7pm and 7am for six months.

Hassan Raza Iqbal (15/01/1987) of Skerton Road, Old Trafford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and was sentenced to a 150-hour community punishment order and ordered to pay £500 in legal costs.

Glen Marr, director of the IFB, said: "Yet another example of the insurance industry successfully working with the police to tackle fraudsters. Insurers are intolerant of fraud, as are genuine consumers who feel strongly that they shouldn't be subsidising fraudsters through the cost of their insurance."

Sergeant Mark Beales of the Road Crime Unit said: "While this collision was genuine, Iqbal and other members of his family tried to capitalise on it for financial gain. This was a minor collision and the sheer number of claimants was disproportionate to what happened.

"This collision highlights that even in genuine collisions, there are those who are prepared to pursue false claims for compensation, a matter the police and insurers take very seriously".

Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Yasser Asghar, Mohammed Nasir and Saeed Mahmood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud in relation to the same case at an earlier hearing.