Nine charged as part of insurance fraud investigation

12/11/2012

Nine defendants have been charged as a result of a major investigation by South Wales Police into allegations that a phone-based insurance scam has been operating from the Swansea area.

Catrin Evans, Head of CPS Cymru-Wales' Complex Casework Unit, said:

"The CPS Cymru-Wales Complex Casework Unit has been working alongside South Wales Police as their investigation into a suspected fraudulent insurance selling operation has developed.

"I can now confirm that, having carefully considered the evidence gathered so far by South Wales Police, we have decided that there is sufficient evidence to charge nine individuals with conspiracy to defraud, and that it is in the public interest to do so.

"Consequently, we have authorised South Wales Police to charge Christopher John Surman, Omar Humayan Mapara, Wayne Ghosh, Mark Rees, Craig Pitman, Andrew Malcolm Patterson, Helen Leanne Lewis, Craig Steven Odger and Christopher Davies with conspiracy to defraud. Omar Humayan Mapara is also charged with five further offences of fraud and conspiracy to defraud in respect of other matters discovered as a result of this police operation.

"The nine defendants will appear at Swansea Magistrates' Court on 15 November."

A spokesman for South Wales Police, added: "This investigation into the fraudulent sale of mobile telephone insurance from a Swansea premises has identified victims throughout the United Kingdom and has resulted in nine people being arrested and charged with conspiracy to defraud.

"It has been a long and complex criminal investigation over several years conducted by the South Wales Police Economic Crime Unit."