Second triumph for IFB as Herts police raid suspected fraud gang
Eight people have been arrested and millions of pounds of assets seized in connection with a suspected motor fraud ring.
This is the second triumph for the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) following an investigation into a gang suspected of staging motor accidents and conspiring to defraud insurers.
The IFB and Hertfordshire police's serious and organised crime group this week saw the culmination of Operation Mysterious.
John Beadle, chairman of the IFB said: "The success of this operation, which closely follows the 10 arrests resulting from Operation Exhort in Bedfordshire at the start of the month, sends a very clear message and significant deterrent to the criminals targeting innocent motorists and our industry.
"The message is that we're going to catch you and when we do the insurers are no longer a soft target. These two operations demonstrate the power of a collaborative partnership between police and insurers via the IFB."
According to ABI figures, organised insurance fraud costs the industry at least £200m each year. The IFB receives £1.6m a year from its members and has been running for less than three months.
Det chief inspector Jon Chapman, of Hertfordshire police, said: "We are very pleased with the arrests, which were effected following a nine-month investigation, working in partnership with the IFB. We take insurance fraud very seriously and will continue to work to tackle serious and organised crime."
