Apparently a couple of folks, with Ugandan sounding names,
are among those convicted U.K's biggest stolen vehicle racket.
Semei
===============================================
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6994958.stm
A gang has been convicted of masterminding the
UK's biggest
ever stolen car racket.
High-value cars such as Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs were
shipped out of the UK after being stolen in thefts, burglaries, robberies
and carjackings.The defendants from London, Essex, Kent and
Bedfordshire were found guilty of conspiracy to handle stolen goods.
The last of the gang, who shipped most of the
cars to Africa, was
sentenced on Friday at Luton Crown Court. The scam involved s
hipping the cars to Mombasa in Kenya where most would then be
moved to Uganda.
Racket cracked
Police recovered 92 cars worth £4m but suspect
at least 200 were
sent abroad between May 2005 and April 2006.The racket was
cracked in a joint operation between three police forces,
Hertfordshire, Essex and Kent. Judge Richard Foster said the
scale of the conspiracy was unprecedented and what could be
proved was just the "tip of the iceberg".
The scale
and sophistication of this operation cannot be overstated
Judge Richard Foster
The gang set up an elaborate system
to load the cars in to
containers and ship them out of the UK using false paperwork
and disguising them as containers full of electrical goods.
Judge Foster told the gang: "The scale and sophistication of
this operation cannot be overstated and a large profit has
been made."We can find no reported case that comes close
to matching the magnitude of this case.
"This was a sophisticated and professional
conspiracy."
The only woman in the gang worked for Mercedes UK in
Redhill and used inside knowledge to supply the gang
with paperwork and details for genuine Mercedes so the
cars could be ringed and appear legitimate. Some of the
gang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen cars
while others were convicted by a jury during two trials held
earlier this year at Luton Crown Court.
Gang sentences
Abdu Gatsinzi, 37, of Brynmaer Road, south west London,
was jailed for eight years.Wycliffe Ssali, 31, of Harrowden
Court, Luton, was jailed for eight years. Martin Clark, 46,
of Antlers, Canvey Island, was jailed for seven years.
Raymond Severn, 54, of Bramble Lane, Upminster,
Essex,
was jailed for six and a half years.
Godfrey Esimu, 34, of Farleigh Road, Stoke
Newington,
in north London, was jailed for five years.
Gary Lambourne, 25, Creswick Walk, Bromley, Kent,
was jailed for seven years.
Allen Kalisa, 30, of Brynmaer Road, south west
London,
was jailed for two years.
Patrick Eseru, 42, of Farleigh Road, Stoke
Newington,
in north London, was jailed for 15 months.
Shafiq Kamuhanda, 35, of Grantham Road, east
London,
was jailed for three years.
Maqsood Ahmed, 36, of Springfield Drive, Ilford,
received
a 12 month sentence suspended for two years.
Ton Leo, 35, of Tollgate Road, east London,
received
a 12 month sentence suspended for two years.
Colin Walter, 23, of Portree Street, Bow, east London,
was handed a 12 month community service order and
ordered to pay £1,000 costs.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/6994958.stm
Published: 2007/09/14 18:16:26 GMT
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