Four men jailed over courier fraud targeting vulnerable

Muhammed Rahman received the longest sentence of six years

Four men who passed themselves off as police officers have been jailed for their roles in a courier fraud scam.

Mohammed Maarjan, 23, Muhammed Rahman, 28, Shoriful Islam, 25 and Mohammed Hussain, 25, all from Islington, were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court.

The gang claimed to be police officers when cold-calling people and urging them to withdraw large sums of cash.

They then asked the victim to hand the money over to a police courier- who was in reality another member of the gang.

Mohammed Hussain has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison

The four men pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud by false representation at an earlier hearing.

Rahman, Maarjan and Islam also admitted possessing criminal property.

Bristol Crown Court heard the gang targeted dozens of vulnerable victims across the country, taking thousands of pounds from their bank accounts.

Mohammed Maarjan was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison

Gloucestershire Constabulary began the investigation when staff at a bank in Cirencester called them over concerns an elderly customer wanted to withdraw thousands of pounds.

IT led police to the gang in London where they were put under surveillance for two weeks before being arrested following a rooftop chase in Camden.

Rahman, of Leirum Street, was sentenced to six years, Hussain, of Collier Street, received a prison term of five years and four months, Maarjan, of James Morgan Mews, and Islam, of Highbury New Park, were both handed prison terms of four years and eight months.

Shoriful Islam also received a jail-term of four years and eight months

Two other members of the gang, Kawsar Ahmed and Mohemmed Ahmed, will be sentenced later in June.

Judge Michael Cullum said aggravating factors in the case were that the men targeted mainly vulnerable victims whilst posing as police officers, taking their savings and doing so during the pandemic when the victims would have been particularly isolated.

Det Insp Matt Phillips, said: "This has had a huge impact on many victims who have not only seen a huge financial loss, but have been left with psychological damage resulting in some being too scared to answer the phone or even leave their house."