Hertfordshire gang ran £2m car finance fraud to steal Porsches, BMWs and Mercedes

A group of men who stole people's identities and falsified credit agreements to steal high-end cars have been sentenced to a total of 35 years. Credit: Hertfordshire Police
Clockwise from top left: Ammir Mukhtar, Mukhtar Ibrahim, Emmanuel Dwamena, Mohammed Jeilani, Sadiq Miah, and Samad Miah, who were among those sentenced. Credit: Hertfordshire Police

Sixteen people have been sentenced for their roles in a fraud conspiracy which saw thieves steal cars worth £2m.

Investigators said the group used stolen identities to create false credit agreements before a group of men called "strikers" collected the cars from different locations such as hotel car parks.

The fraud ran from February 2020 to July 2022 during which time 75 cars, including Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs were stolen.

The group were sentenced to a total of more than 35 years after pleading guilty at St Albans Crown Court earlier this month.

Hertfordshire Police's specialist investigation team worked with the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) and National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) to build a picture of how the scam was being coordinated by criminals around the country.

The two members of the gang, who arranged false MOT documentation were Gerado Ortiz, 31, of Como Street, Romford, and Hassan Kijenyi, 71, of Meanley Road, London, who were both sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for 18 months for fraud by false representation.

Both men were also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and given electronically monitored curfews for six months.

The primary offenders of the gang all pleaded guilty and had previously appeared in court. They were:

  • Ammir Mukhtar, 26, of Pretoria Road North, London, who was sentenced to four years and 10 months imprisonment for fraud by false representation;

  • Mukhtar Ibrahim, 26, of Holcombe Road, London, who was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment for fraud by false representation;

  • Emmanuel Dwamena, 36, of Cornworthy Road, Dagenham, who was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment for theft of motor vehicle;

  • Samad Miah, 28 of Yarmouth Crescent, London, who was sentenced to two years and one month imprisonment for fraud by false representation;

  • Sadiq Miah, 27, of Yarmouth Crescent, London, who was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment for fraud by false representation.

The strikers, who all pleaded guilty apart from Abdalla, were:

  • Mohammed Jeilani, 36, of Rycroft Way, London, who was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment for fraud by false representation.

  • Leroy Gayle, 42, of Mayville Road, London, who was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years, disqualified from driving and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work for fraud and theft of motor vehicle.

  • Jamarl Lambert, aged 32 of Eternit Walk, London, who was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment suspended for two years, with a six-month curfew order and disqualified from driving and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work for fraud and theft of motor vehicle

  • Henry Galloway, 45, of Eldon Road London, who was sentenced to 24 months suspended for two years, rehabilitation activity requirement and a five-month curfew for theft of motor vehicle.

  • Eamon Hannigan, 52, of Barrowfield Close, London, who was sentenced to 24 months suspended for two years, a rehabilitation activity requirement and five-month curfew for fraud and theft of motor vehicle.

  • Mekail Abdalla, 21, of no fixed address, who was found guilty following trial in January 2024 and sentenced to 24 months suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work for fraud by false representation.

  • Martin Herbert, 53, of Yarmouth Crescent London, who was sentenced to 14 months, suspended for 18 months for fraud by false representation.

  • Ahmed Omer Ali, 39, of Great Amwell Lane, London, who was sentenced to one year and six months suspended for 18 months, with six-month curfew order and a rehabilitation order for fraud by false representation.

  • James Layzell, 31, of Baker Avenue Chelmsford, who was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

Det Sgt Will Daglish from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s specialist investigation team said: “The organised crime group formulated an elaborate fraud to purchase high value vehicles from dealerships across the UK, on finance agreements using fake identities and documentation.

“The gang organisers paid lower ranking drivers to collect and deliver the vehicles, after which they would totally re-identify the stolen vehicles, to trick unsuspecting buyers and make it harder to reclaim the cars once the ruse was uncovered.”

Jon Radford of the IFB said: "This shameless group of scammers stole the identities of hundreds of people to take out fraudulent insurance policies, without a regard for the impact on victims, in an elaborate bid to steal brand new cars through finance deals.

"Identity theft is a growing threat which results in real harm, as it facilitates a wide range of crimes."

Sharon Naughton, Head of NaVCIS, said: “We urge anybody purchasing a second-hand car to ensure they have taken every effort to guarantee that the information given to you is accurate.

"Ask to see evidence of MOT certificates and service history and contact the garages concerned to confirm their authenticity.

"If the price is too good to be true, trust your instincts. Do not pay cash if you are offered a discount, keep a paper trail.

"Cloning of stolen vehicles has become extremely difficult to detect.

"If you buy and drive a stolen car, your insurance will not be valid and this will incur an uninsured loss when the vehicle is seized."

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