Crash for cash gang caught after pocketing £320,000 in fake claims

An organised crime group are awaiting sentencing after pocketing more than £320,000 from an illegal ‘crash for cash’ scheme that had triggered concerns from multiple insurers.

The investigation found that Raju Patel and Kamlesh Vadukul, the ringleaders of the group, submitted claims on insurance and to a vehicle repair finance service for road traffic collisions that were deliberately induced or had never happened.

The remaining eight members of the group either caused the collisions or knowingly provided their personal details to facilitate the claims.

A sentencing hearing went ahead at Birmingham Crown Court on 20 January 2025.

At the four-week trial, Kamlesh Vadukul, 36, of Firshill Avenue, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and money laundering.

Amarjit Dhaliwal, 45, of Millers Road, Warwick, also known as Amo Singh, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

During the first week of the trial, the remainder of the group initially pleaded not guilty, but later submitted guilty pleas.

Raju Patel, 40, of Segundo Road, Walsall, admitted to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and money laundering.

Aqeb Hussain, 42, of Gainsborough Avenue, Oldham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

Dimple Ghera, 38, of Farndale Avenue, Wolverhampton, admitted to fraud by false representation.

Minata Jalloh, 32, of Empress Way, Dudley, also pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. Saqib Khan, 32, of Vincent Street, Walstead, pleaded guilty to the same offence.

Asid Nadeem, 40, of Dudley Road, Dudley, James Payne, 37, of Carisbrooke Road, Sandwell, and Amjad Rehman, 50, of Hope Street, Walsall, each admitted to fraud by false representation.

The group will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 28 and 29 April 2025.

The case

Patel and Vadukul operated a supposed vehicle repair shop for cars involved in road traffic collisions.

In December 2015, they partnered with a repair finance service that provided credit to non-fault drivers, enabling quick vehicle repairs with costs later claimed from at-fault insurers.

The pair submitted photos as proof of repairs, but the service did not verify the damage.

Insurers grew suspicious due to claims linked to recently purchased policies or mismatched vehicle registrations.

Referred by the Insurance Fraud Bureau, Ifed investigated eight claims and found no repairs were conducted.

From December 2015 to October 2016, Patel and Vadukul submitted fraudulent claims for 39 collisions totalling £275,548.

Payments of £321,055 were funnelled into a bank account opened by Vadukul, with funds withdrawn as cash or transferred to accounts linked to Patel.

Adam Maskell, detective sergeant at Ifed, said: “This was a complex and lengthy investigation and the fact that the group have now admitted their guilt demonstrates the strength of the evidence against them.

“Crash for cash fraud doesn’t go unnoticed by the insurance industry or law enforcement and we will work collaboratively to root out organised crime, as this case has shown.”