Gang of 13 sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison.
A ‘crash for cash’ gang of 13 people has been sentenced to a total of 10 years imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court today.
It follows a two year investigation by Hertfordshire police and the Insurance Fraud Bureau, codenamed Operation Mysterious, which involved dawn raids and resulted in defendants facing charges of conspiracy to defraud insurance companies.
The gang made dishonest claims to insurance companies for compensation totalling more than £250 000 relating to road traffic collisions that had never happened.
Hertfordshire Constabulary’s senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Jon Chapman, said: “False details about the accidents were provided to insurance companies and bogus documents were created. Some vehicles were deliberately damaged in order to support the claims, which were made in respect of damage to the vehicles, personal injuries, recovery costs, hire vehicles, legal costs and loss of earnings.”
Detective Constable Julian Griffiths, who worked on Operation Mysterious from the outset, added: “We are pleased with the convictions which have followed many months of effective partnership working with the IFB. The Constabulary is committed to tackling serious and organised crime and the successful conclusion of this inquiry shows our determination to bring offenders to justice. We are particularly grateful for the support and assistance of the Crown Prosecution Service and Prosecution Counsel.
“This outcome sends out a clear message to fraudsters that their activities will be uncovered by the police and specialist agencies. With support from the Crown Prosecution Service, the constabulary has also been able to restrain more than £1m in assets from those convicted with a view to securing confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act. This legislation enables us to hit criminals where it hurts – in their pockets.”
John Beadle, chairman of the Insurance Fraud Bureau commented: “This demonstrates the power of the collective and the results that can be achieved when the public and private sector work closely together to tackle organised criminals targeting the insurance industry and jeopardising public safety.”
Andrew Sarkanay, Senior Crown Prosecutor added: “This is one of the first cases of its kind prosecuted in the UK. The commitment from the police, the Insurance Fraud Bureau and the prosecution team has undoubtedly been the cause for securing these convictions. The Crown Prosecution Service worked very closely with these Criminal Justice agencies to achieve justice.”
