Between late 2018 and early 2019, a series of courier fraud crimes were identified in the North East that saw calculated offenders target elderly and vulnerable victims for their own financial gain. The complex scam, known as courier fraud, saw criminals contact their victims via telephone pretending to be police officers and claiming their bank savings were at risk. The fraudsters then instructed the victims to attend their bank and withdraw large amounts of cash that would be collected by the ‘officers’ for fingerprinting. On other occasions the victims were instructed to purchase high-value jewellery for the fake investigation. Operation Tucson was soon launched by detectives from North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU) with the support of collaborative forces and partner agencies, to tackle organised criminals and safeguard victims. The investigation team identified a total of 16 victims throughout the UK, who in total had lost over £700,000 at the hands of the crime group – with one victim losing over £450,000. The extensive investigation by NERSOU identified five key suspects who resided in the London area and acted as the callers, organisers and couriers. The five men, Fawaz Miah, 26, Fras Abdulkarim, 20, Abdul Olayinka, 19, Noor Sharif, 20, and Sahil Zaman, 22, were identified, arrested and subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and money laundering offences. In August 2021, three of the men, Miah, Abdulkarim and Olayinka, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation with Zaman and Sharif deciding to try their luck in court. On Friday (January 28), Zaman and Sharif were convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering offences by a jury at Durham Crown Court. Monday (January 31), they joined their criminal peers and the five were sentenced to a total of over 21 years. Detective Constable Gillian Coulson, the officer running the investigation, said: “This is a cruel crime in which criminals target the most vulnerable members of our community and steal their life savings. “This is a great outcome for the victims and one which protects the public from further offending. We remain dedicated to pursuing anyone who seeks to defraud others and we encourage people to look out for vulnerable family members and friends and to challenge anyone on the phone asking for money or valuables. “Please ring the police immediately if you notice anything suspicious. Police officers or your bank will never ask you to hand over money, or transfer funds. If you receive a call like this, do not interact, hang up and report it immediately.” Detective Sgt Shaun Fordy, of NERSOU, added “As part of Operation Sentinel, our initiative to tackle serious and organised crime, we will continue the vigorous pursuit of criminals who target and exploit vulnerable people and we will bring them before the courts.” If you think you might have been a victim of courier fraud, please contact us via 101 or Action Fraud immediately by calling 0300 123 2040. You can also report it online at the Action Fraud website.