Crawley based youths sentenced for car-ringing conspiracy

TWO men from Crawley have been jailed for a 'car ringing' conspiracy which defrauded vehicle owners of high value cars.

Imran Raja, 38, and Arran Khan, 28, were sentenced by Hove Crown Court on Tuesday (2) to three years and six months, and to three years and ten months, respectively, for conspiracy to defraud.

The duo, who had their own car trading or car repair businesses in Crawley, were convicted on February 7 after a five-week trial.

Detective Constable Nick Tinley of the force's serious organised crime Unit said: "The defendants bought badly damaged and written off cars, mainly top of the range BMWs, repaired them, often with stolen parts, and then sold them on. 

"The sales were fraudulent because the buyers were deceived as to the true previous history of the cars.”

Most of the cars that they repaired were deemed by the insurance industry to be beyond repair. They should have their bodyshell crushed and were not meant to go back on the road. 

By restoring damaged vehicles using stolen parts, altering the mileage or by producing replicas of limited editions using stolen parts, the duo conspired to defraud the purchasers and make a greater profit from their operations.

In sentencing the pair, Judge Christine Henson assessed the loss to victims in respect of seven cars which formed the basis of the prosecution evidence, at between £90,000 and £100,000.

She also disqualified both men from being company directors for seven years, describing them as unfit for the role.

Police enquiries have not ended with these sentencings. 

An investigation is continuing into the financial assets of Khan and Raja with a view to a court hearing at a later date to seek confiscation orders against them under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).