AN ORGANISED crime gang who ran a nationwide telephone and courier fraud scam which targeted victims in Barrow have been jailed for a total of 21 years.

Appearing at Worcester Crown Court yesterday, eight members of the gang were sentenced for their part in the con which targeted 50 victims, ranging from 49 to 96-years-old.

The fraud took place between April and June 2016 across Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Cumbria, West Midlands, Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire and Thames Valley when victims were called on their landlines and asked to hand over money.

Of the 50 victims targeted, 15 were persuaded to hand over money, with a total of over £200,000 being stolen.

Seven of the gangs victims lived in Barrow with another in the surrounding area. They were nearly conned into handing over £24,000 collectively before police stepped in.

The court heard it was a a persuasive scam which saw thieves purporting to be police investigating a fraud at a local banking branch.

Two couriers were arrested in Ludlow on June 1 2016 after police were led to believe offences were occurring in the town that day.

The gang, all but one who was found guilty after a trial, admitted to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

Mohammed Hadi, 34, of Uamvar Street, London and Rejwanul Islam, 26, of Wroxhall Road, Dagenham, were jailed for six years; Mohammed Abdul Kashem, 28, of Guilfoot, Camden was jailed for four years; Mohammed Nawaz Miah, 22, of Parkers Circus, Chipping Norton was jailed for three years; Mohammed Nazeem Miah, 20, of Parkers Circus, Chipping Norton was jailed for 30 months; Idris Ali, 24, of Belmont Street, Oldham and Yarsir Afzal, 22, of Abingdon Road, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire were sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for two years; Mohammed Nasir Miah, 24, of Parkers Circus, Chipping Norton was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years.

DI Emma Wright at West Mercia Police said: “This investigation was incredibly complex and involved an organised crime group from London, Manchester, Oxfordshire and Cardiff. The investigation involved working with a number of other forces, in particular, Cumbria police, who were dealing with a linked series of offences. These sentences are testament to the hard work and diligent investigation by a small team of officers and staff.

“This type of telephone fraud is an ongoing challenge. These defendants targeted people who were elderly or vulnerable; they were persistent and ruthless, sometimes keeping the victims on the phone for hours or subjecting them to many calls.

“Hundreds of calls were made, with only a handful of people needing to be convinced for the criminals to profit. We urge people to be on their guard against this fraud - never hand over bank cards, cash or transfer money, following an unsolicited phone call purporting to be the police or your bank.”

DC Scott Livett from Cumbria Police said: “This successful prosecution was brought about by the hard work of West Mercia Police and Cumbria Police, supported by London, Manchester, Oxfordshire and Cardiff Police. We work closely with other forces on a number of cross county operations to keep the public safe, and this operation was supported by all involved.

“The actions of this organised crime gang were abhorrent and they have rightly been held to account. They targeted some of the most vulnerable people in our community for monetary gain.

“The long lasting effects that their actions will have on many of their victims will be deeper routed than financial and I would like to thank the victims for their bravery and support.”