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Gang in £3.5m credit fraud is jailed
Benedict Moore-Bridger16.04.09
FOUR fraudsters who helped run a global credit card cloning operation that amassed £3.5million in a week have been jailed for a total of 18 years.
Police found stolen passports, fake cards, lists of credit card numbers and hi-tech counterfeiting equipment when they stormed a two-bedroom council flat in Walworth, south London. The search unearthed a "treasure-trove" of designer goods and diamond jewellery, The Old Bailey heard.
The conmen struck as Barclaycard announced its £35million takeover of the Morgan Stanley card business last year. They defrauded owners of 2,000 accounts across 27 countries between 28 September and 8 October while the security system was not operating effectively, the court heard.
The gang members, all Chinese nationals who live in the flat, tried to blame each other.
Khi-San Voong, 46, who was receiving housing benefit but drove a 7-series BMW and had a £2,000 Rolex watch, claimed he had no idea the fraud was happening. He was jailed for five years. His girlfriend Qiu Yeu, 46, and another man Qiang Xue, 34, were each jailed for four-and-a-half years. Xue's girlfriend Cai Caixa, 27, was jailed for four years.
Illegal immigrants Yeu, Xue and Caixa are set to be deported when they have served their sentences.
Voong, Yeu and Xue each denied conspiracy to defraud but were convicted. Caixa admitted her role on the first day of the trial.
Reader views (8)
They should all be deported.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
They should not be here in the first place. What mugs we are.
Bring on the uprising. It will never happen I know but ever hopefull!!!!
- Maggie, london
I'm more interested to know how Chinese nationals get access to social housing and housing benefit so easily.
I think there might be a case for insisting that these scumbags serve their sentences in their home country. That should take the smiles off their faces.
- Lmd, North London
What do you expect when the police cannot even use minimal force against a roudy protestor! Come to the UK, easy life of crime, slight punishment if court (occupational hazard!!), sorted. Shame the English cannot travel & get away with these sort of antics in other countries, then we too could live the easy life of blags & scams at someone elses expense.
- Dom, London
The entire story of the New Labour era is here:
1 Illegal immigration
2 Council flat given to foreign criminals instead of a British nurse, teacher etc.
3 Benefit fraud (UK national sport, should be at the 2012 games, gold medal a dead cert.)
4 Crime
5 Greed
6 Pathetic short sentence/out after serving less than half
Doubtless they will issue a lawsuit for breach of human rights because their cells are not 5star. Legal Aid will pay the bill as usual.
- Undercover Elephant, London, UK
If they're all Chinese nationals, why can't they all be deported?
I take it the one who was claiming housing benefit is an asylum seeker, and now we've let him in he can't be deported.
What a joke we are.
- Scott, London
MORE HARDWORKING IMMIGRANTS ENHANCING OUR SOCIETY!!
- Simon, LONDON.ENGLAND
Five years' max sentence means out in 2.5 and ready to retire on the part of the loot stashed away. How many out there wouldn't gladly trade 2.5 years' detention (with full room & board, exercise equipment, TV, chances for gaining further education, no responsibilities, etc.) for the chance to retire in style for the rest of your life? An option that many would opt for. Another example of the U.K.'s slap-on-the-wrist criminal justice system.
- Phil Jones, London UK
