Airedale and North Bradford Police have fired a warning to criminals after successfully confiscating £150,000 from Mohammed ‘Mojo’ Rashid on October 11 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Mr Rashid was ordered to pay police £150,000 within six months at the Bradford Crown Court hearing, and has been told he will still owe Police another £150,000 after that has been paid.
Mr Rashid, who was convicted in 2008 of arranging fake accidents for fraudulent insurance claims and is currently in prison, was also warned he will face a further two years, four months in jail if he fails to pay Police the first £150,000 in time.
In total, the former owner of ‘Keighley’s Autotransform’ garage was sentenced to five years for the ‘crash for cash’ scam following a joint investigation into the business by Airedale and North Bradford CID and the Insurance Fraud Bureau.
The POCA money which is now to be confiscated from Rashid will now be re-invested in both the fight against crime nationally and also in projects to help divert people from becoming involved in criminal behaviour.
Detective Sergeant Dave Marston who heads the specialist POCA unit at Airedale and North Bradford Police, said his team were pleased with the confiscation: “This is a very substantial and significant confiscation for our POCA team in Keighley and really does hammer the message home that we do now have the tools to make sure crime does not pay.
Detective Chief Inspector Mabs Hussain of Airedale and North Bradford CID, added:“We all hate to see criminals benefit from crime and the size of this confiscation clearly shows that we are willing to pursue criminals for very significant sums of cash though the court system. “Our team of detectives and specialist financial investigators are currently investigating a number of cases in Keighley and North Bradford and more action is pending.
“I would again ask anyone who is aware of criminal activity or who thinks their neighbours might be benefitting from the proceeds of crime to contact the Why Should They campaign.”
IFB director Glen Marr said: “The insurance industry should not be viewed as an easy target for organised fraudsters, as highlighted by the success of another joint Insurance Fraud Bureau/Police operation, this time with West Yorkshire Police, resulting in custodial sentences and the confiscation of ill gotten gains.
“This latest example demonstrates that insurance fraudsters not only carry the very real risk of custodial sentences, but exposure to confiscation proceedings.
“Insurers who suffer losses at the hands of fraudsters, will also not hesitate to utilise civil legal action to recover losses, further underlining industry intolerance to fraud, and ultimately protecting the interests of genuine insurance customers.
“Insurers and the public are tired of funding fraudsters lifestyles and I would urge anyone with information on any type of insurance fraud, whether a current or previous fraud and not just crash for cash, to either call the Insurance Fraud Bureau free and confidential Cheatline.”
Source : Post Online
