14 DAY TRIAL // Two fraudsters who ran a credit card counterfeiting business out of an flat in North London have been sentenced to a total of over five years in prison.
Gabriel Yew, 39, and Cheng Chee Weng, 28, were arrested earlier this year following an investigation by the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU) and the Westminster Police Chinese Unit.
On March 31 a police officer on patrol in Chinatown observed Weng handing a man an envelope in exchange of money.
When approached, both individuals ran off and the officer chased after them. Weng was caught and 11 fake payment cards were found on him.
The investigation led authorities to a flat in Hornsey Road, Haringey, where they found a room full of equipment used for the production of counterfeit credit cards.
The cloned cards recovered during the raid corresponded to a number 250 compromised bank accounts. The details of 450 additional cards were also discovered.
Police seized over £10,000 ($15,600) in cash, as well as gold ingots and jewelery. It was determined that the apartment belongs to Gabriel Yew, who was subsequently arrested.
The investigation concluded that Yew was the mastermind of the operation and he was creating counterfeit credit cards that were being used to buy high end electronic devices and other expensive items.
In July Gabriel Yew pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and supplying articles for used in fraud. He was sentenced on Wednesday to four years in prison.
Cheng Chee Weng, who ran errands for Yew, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and supplying articles for use in fraud. He received a sentence of 15 months in jail.
"During the past eight years the DCPCU has prevented an estimated £340 million of card and cheque fraud, and has been integral to the reduction in overall card fraud losses, which fell by 28 per cent last year," said Detective Inspector Dee Bain, with the DCPCU.