Prison for £1.2m 'car-ring' gang

The gang made new number plates and service histories for the cars

Five members of a "car-ringing" gang who stole, sold and re-stole dozens of cars in a £1.2m scam have been jailed.

The gang stole 37 cars, forged their registration details and re-sold them. They then stole the cars again, selling each car up to three times.

Mastermind Nokhiaz Khan, 31, from Hornchurch, Essex, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for fraud and conspiracy to convert crime proceeds.

Four gang members were jailed for up to two years at Southwark Crown Court.

Cars 'cloned'

The gang operated in east London between January 2004 and December 2007, targeting cars such as Ford Escorts and Honda Civics.

They stole many car keys in residential burglaries and stole vehicles in carjackings, the court heard.

The cars were then "cloned" using the identities of similar vehicles on dealer forecourts.

The gang made new number plates and service histories for the vehicles, obtaining duplicate logbooks from the DVLA.

Criminals do not resort to violently hijacking cars or stealing cars if they do not have someone to sell them to Judge Nicolas Loraine-Smith

The cars were then sold via a listings magazine but within days many were re-stolen by the gang, which disabled electronic anti-theft measures.

Many cars were given another new identity and the process began again, with the gang stealing and re-selling cars initially worth £340,000.

The scam came to light after DVLA officials linked the operation to an address used by the gang.

Sentencing, Judge Nicolas Loraine-Smith said Khan was at the centre of "a very sophisticated organisation".

'Terrifying and violent'

The judge told him: "Criminals do not resort to violently hijacking cars or stealing cars if they do not have someone to sell them to.

"You were at the centre of an organisation which provided that service."

Paul Pepper, 30, from East Ham, east London, and Michael Kellman, 40, from Forest Gate, east London, admitted conspiracy to defraud and convert the proceeds of crime. Pepper was sentenced to 15 months in jail and Kellman was given two years.

Sonny Sian, 22, from Forest Gate, admitted converting criminal property, theft and handling stolen goods.

Wayne Francis, 25, from Romford, Essex, admitted converting criminal property, handling stolen goods and deception. Sian and Francis were each jailed for 36 weeks, suspended for two years.

Outside court, Det Con Gavin Smith said: "This criminal network has been responsible for some terrifying and violent thefts that have left the victims extremely frightened."