A VAT fraud gang containing six men from Birmingham and a seventh from Croydon has been jailed for more than 63 years following a six-year investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.
The investigation centred on a major conspiracy to steal £45m in a ‘missing trader’ VAT fraud.
The defendants operated six companies using the ‘missing trader’ technique selling mobile phones and CD ROMs.
HMRC said they would regularly adopt the role of an exporting company, or broker at the end of the chain, and reclaim VAT from the UK Government, allegedly paid by them on earlier transactions, when they exported the goods.
But no VAT had been paid anywhere in the chain which formed the key part of their plot to steal millions.
Strict reporting restrictions had been place throughout the trial at Birmingham Crown Court but these were lifted after yesterday’s sentencing.
The defendants were all charged with conspiring to cheat the public revenue contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1977.
The six guilty men are Bhabdeep Singh Chahal, 31, from Handsworth who jointly headed up the companies Chahal and Sons Talking Digital and Anything and Everything. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Harbans Singh, 46, also from Handsworth, headed up H Communications and was sentenced to four years in prison. Both these men received their sentences yesterday.
A previous sentencing had taken place at Birmingham Crown Court in July last year.
The defendants were Charanjit Singh Chahal, 34, from Handsworth, who jointly headed up Chahal and Sons Talking Digital and Anything and Everything and was handed a 15-year sentence.
Jaspal Chahal, 31, also from Handsworth, ran Letting Solutions and was sentenced to 10 years in prison while Jagprit Randhawa, 31 and from Sutton Coldfield, also ran Letting Solutions and received a 10-year sentence.
Satnam Singh Sohal, 32, from Handsworth, headed up SS & JS and was sentenced to four years.
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