Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

British Asian gangs ‘linked to car insurance scam’

Urgent action is needed to tackle the number of British Asian gangs defrauding insurance companies of millions of pounds each year by staging bogus crashes, experts have claimed.

Leading crime fighters said the so-called “crash for cash” scam is a problem in the Asian community, with dozens of crooks working together to make false claims for vehicle damage and injuries.


Around 153 people of south Asian origin have been convicted over the fraud across the country, according to analysis by Eastern Eye of cases between 2009 and 2016.

They were jailed for staging fake collisions in Birmingham, Bury, Oldham, Manchester, Leeds, Essex, London, Huddersfield, Luton, Reading and Slough.

In one case, 33 people pleaded guilty in Luton, Bedfordshire, in 2011 for faking collisions, putting in claims for non-existent crashes and inflating personal injury claims.

A recent case saw Fazal Khan, from Birmingham, given a 20-month sentence last month for trying to claim almost £10,000 for a staged crash.

Tarique Ghaffur, a former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, believes more specialist officers are needed.

Ghaffur, founder of security firm Community Safety Development, told Eastern Eye: “Cash for crashes is a huge community issue perpetrated by the litigious society we live in.

“The organised aspect of it has long been seen and proven to be a south Asian issue. The whole supply chain from providing cars, drivers and then follow up professional services such as medical and legal seems to come from known networks and contacts from the community.

“It further impacts on negative stereotyping of our communities. People who are making large sums of money out of criminal practice become dysfunctional and negative role models in the heart of the communities, leading to further exploitation of the vulnerable.

“Often insurance firms are left to deal with this issue but the police should take a more active specialist ro-le in bringing perpetrators to justice.”

Crash for cash fraud costs the insurance industry an estimated £340 million per year. And the con adds around £44 a year to premiums for every motorist.

Nazir Afzal, chief executive of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and a former chief prosecutor, said his brother was targeted by fraudsters.

He told Eastern Eye: “My brother in Birmingham was sat at a pedestrian red light and the guy in front of him reversed into him. It looked like he [his brother] hit the back of his car.

“I don’t know if it’s more prevalent in any one community, I do know it’s an issue in the south Asian community. Money is sadly readily available to be paid out in such matters.

“All the agencies need to tighten their procedures, that has been happening, it’s less likely now for these people to get away with it.”

It comes after a Channel 5 documentary last month exposed a gang of British Asians who arranged a crash in order to make a false claim for injuries and vehicle damage.

The taxi drivers were filmed in northern England by undercover journalist Paul Connolly staging a crash. When confronted by him later, the men denied any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Birmingham was named as the number one hotspot for bogus insurance claims in 2015, according to research by Aviva. A quarter of the 3,000 bogus cases made came from the Midlands city.

Neil Thomas is a former detective inspector for West Midlands Police and a director at Asset Protection Unit (APU) Ltd, an investigation firm.He said criminals are now targeting young motorists and those with a clean driving licence to avoid being caught.

Thomas said: “Crash for cash scams can squeeze through the cracks for fraudsters, who generally see it as a low-risk opportunity. Police are working with the insurance industry and private sector to identify geographic hotspots and key crime facilitators.

“Police intelligence databases mostly contain details of people who have already been convicted or suspected of offences, which is why fraudsters tend to favour drivers with ‘clean’ records who have not come to the attention of the police.

“Ethical, lawful and effective data sharing agreements are in place between law enforcement authorities and key industry stakeholders like APU Limited, which can help police fill any intelligence gaps.”

He added devices in cars called telematics are being used to combat the crime. “Telematics units are used by insurers to provide driver behaviour feedback that help lower premiums.

“Depending on the device, telematics boxes can capture data from the vehicle including the harshness of braking, excessive speed and even seat belt activation.

“This data can prove invaluable to professional investigators like APU, and used as evidence much like the data from an aircraft’s ‘black box’.

“APU investigated a series of staged collisions, which helped the Metropolitan Police convict 17 criminals and secure prison sentences of between 16 months and five years.”

More For You

Rochdale grooming case

They were all remanded in custody, except Bashir, who absconded before the trial began. (Photo: Greater Manchester Police)

Seven men convicted of raping 13-year-old girls in Rochdale grooming case

SEVEN men were convicted on Friday in the UK’s latest grooming trial, after a jury heard that two girl victims were forced to have sex “with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses”.

Jurors at the court in Manchester, northwest England, deliberated for three weeks before finding the seven men, all of whom are of South Asian descent, guilty of rape.

Keep ReadingShow less
karan-thakar

Karun Thakar is a leading textile collector with a lifelong focus on Asian and African textiles

Karun Collection

Karun Thakar Fund to support textile research with scholarships and grants

THE KARUN THAKAR FUND, established by textile collector Karun Thakar in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), supports the study of Asian and African textiles and dress through scholarships and project grants.

The fund offers one-time Scholarship Awards of up to £10,000 for university students worldwide focusing on any aspect of Asian or African textiles and dress. Undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from any accredited university are eligible, provided their research or practice is clearly linked to these areas. The next round of Scholarship Award applications opens on 1 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 on July 15, 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian leaders recognised in King's birthday honours list

Professor Jagtar Singh (Photo: Facebook)

Asian leaders recognised in King's birthday honours list

ASIAN health workers, academics, charity workers and campaigners are among those who have been recognised in the King’s birthday honours list announced tonight (13).

More than a thousand recipients have been awarded for their exceptional achievements, with a particular focus on those who have given their time to public service, according to the Cabinet Office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India

A view shows the wreckage of the tail section of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from airport in Ahmedabad. (Photo: Reuters)

Air India crash: Probe focuses on engine and flaps; safety checks ordered for 787 fleet

THE INVESTIGATION into the Air India crash that killed more than 240 people is focusing on the aircraft's engine, flaps, and landing gear.

The Indian aviation regulator has ordered safety checks on the airline’s entire Boeing 787 fleet, reported Reuters.

Keep ReadingShow less