West Midlands bank conmen jailed over £2m fraud

Two brothers who conned banks in the West Midlands out of £2 million to lead a life of luxury and buy flash cars including a Lamborghini and Bentley were behind bars today.

The criminals manipulated the banking system to allow money to be transferred from bank accounts belonging to a hotel, an insurance company and another small business.

The pair targeted Barclays, Halifax Bank of Scotland, and American Express, then shared the proceeds to splash out on luxury cars worth nearly £450,000 and jewellery.

Their fleet included a £135,000 Lamborghini Gallardo, a £75,000 Bentley Continental, a £45,000 BMW X6 and a £140,000 Ferrari California.

But they were jailed yesterday after a judge said they believed they were "cleverer than they actually are".

The Express & Star reported the seizure of the cars a year ago, when officers put them on show outside West Midlands Police's Lloyd House headquarters in Birmingham.

Yesterday at Birmingham Crown Court, Shahab Ahmed, aged 34, from Edgbaston, was jailed for seven years.

His brother Joshim Ahmed, 24, also of Edgbaston, was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

They were convicted of conspiracy to defraud following a a trial which started in November.

Police say Joshim Ahmed would transfer money into his brother's account and the pair would withdraw large sums to fund their lavish lifestyle, including the purchasing of the cars.

Between May and December 2009, police were called in following concerns from the banks.

Just under £2 million was transferred in transactions ranging from a few thousand pounds to tens of thousands.

West Midlands Police's economic crime team launched an investigated, codenamed Operation Wheelwright.

Police identified Joshim through his bank account details. Police circulated his details among other forces and he was arrested in December 2009 after being pulled over in the BMW X6 in Leeds.

His brother was arrested driving the Bentley Continental on Coventry Road, Birmingham, a few weeks later.

Det Con Chris Ramadhar, who was one of the officers on the case, said today: "They got the cars at various specialist garages up and down the country, from Leeds through to London. They bought Rolex watches, a Jacob's watch and other gold chains.

"We know that they used hotels down in London but they've just lived a lavish lifestyle driving expensive cars and staying in hotels in and around London, including one of the Marriott hotels."

Today police revealed the luxury cars were now in the hands of one of the banks that the brothers defrauded as part of efforts to recoup the cash. Dc Ramadhar said: "Although a large amount has been recovered there's still around £500,000 which can't be accounted for.

"But under Proceeds of Crime Legislation, we will now have a look at any assets that can be attributed to them.

"If you have got a criminal life, then that life does catch up with you and the courts have shown with this case that you will be sentenced accordingly.

"The judge said yesterday that both defendants believed they were cleverer than they actually are."

Other amounts were recovered as the fraud was in action, as the banks involved gradually realised there had been a fraud taking place and transactions were cancelled.

Police today declined to reveal any of the fine details of how the brothers pulled off the lucrative scam which earned them millions.

By Crime Correspondent Mike Woods