Dawn swoop in fraud case

Detectives hope to have smashed open a nationwide organised crime network following a series of dawn raids in Telford.

Officers swooped on about a dozen premises and arrested 10 people on suspicion of fraud and money laundering following a year-long investigation.

Police have refused to confirm details of the crimes - handled under the banner Operation Joy.

They would only say “most” of the 10 arrests were in Telford.

The others were in Shropshire and the West Midlands.

Garages were raided and their logbooks, MoT details, financial documents and computer equipment seized in the raids in the early hours of November 1.

Details were only confirmed today when police said 10 people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in a “large scale investigation into financial crime”.

Chris Ammonds, Telford police spokesman, said: “West Mercia constabulary has confirmed officers have executed warrants at addresses in Wellington and across Shropshire and the West Midlands.

“The warrants, executed as part of Operation Joy, come as a result of a large-scale, nationwide investigation into organised financial crime.”

The people arrested were held and quizzed by detectives, but have now been released on police bail while investigations continue.

Financial data, records and computer equipment are still being examined.

The owners of some of the garages raided have not been arrested or accused of crime themselves.

Some have complained their business is being affected as they cannot operate without computers, MoT details, documentation and other personal data.

Nasser Khalaileh, who runs Horizon Car Sales, Haybridge Road, Wellington, said officers were at his premises all day on November 1. He took over the garage in October. He said he had not been arrested and believed the raid was not connected with him.

“They have taken invoi-ces, deposit money, receipts, MoT details and everything,” he said. “I haven’t been given any explanation. It is very stressful.”

A Telford police spokesman said everything seized needed to be examined and would be returned when it was possible.

By Dave West