Gang broke limbs for insurance cash

A GANG accused of car insurance fraud are said to have broken the arms and legs of mentally ill ‘volunteers’ before filing claims for fake crashes.

Suspects arrested by police are believed to have also targeted drug addicts, persuading them to agree to have their limbs smashed with bodybuilding weights or iron bars. They were promised a cut of any payout – but some got as little as £260. Gang members would even pose in hospital as victims’ relatives to ensure they stuck to their story.

Italian police have now arrested more than 40 suspects in Palermo. Those allegedly involved in the fraud include doctors providing fake medical reports, as well as physiotherapists and lawyers.

The scam came to light two years ago, after a victim of a supposedly fatal crash was found to have suffered a heart attack after being beaten. He had also been given crack cocaine to minimise the pain.