Scam mastermind who avoid conviction is jailed
kieran.murray@reachplc.com @ReporterKie
A MAN known as “The Fixer” who masterminded a scam to help drivers escape convictions has been jailed.
Syed Shahed Ahmed helped more than a dozen drivers across Sunderland and South Tyneside avoid fines and points on their licence for speeding and jumping red lights.
Ahmed, 43, pocketed thousands of pounds as part of the scam which saw him fill out penalty notices on behalf of drivers, using false details and a string of addresses in Sunderland.
Newcastle Crown Court heard seven notices of intended prosecutions were delivered to an address associated with Ahmed on Leamington Street between October 2015 and June 2016.
But with the property empty and Ahmed seemingly uncontactable, officers began to look deeper into the discrepancies – and found two other addresses he was also using.
Police spent three years uncovering the operation which involved 15 defendants. Ahmed and the drivers who attempted to avoid picking up punishments were all put before the courts.
Ahmed, of Vale Street, Sunderland, admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, 16 counts of fraud relating to the scam and money laundering in relation to the distribution of the funds he had accrued.He was jailed for three and a half years following a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court.
PC Fiona Wood, of Northumbria Police’s camera enforcement unit, said: “Syed Shahed Ahmed ran a large-scale operation in the heart of our community but today it has come crashing down around him.
“Ahmed showed a total disregard for the law and thought he was too clever to be caught.
“He appeared to thrive from his criminality and reputation within his circles as ‘The Fixer.’
“He and all those who knowingly handed over their penalty notices have now been rightly punished for their disingenuous and unlawful actions.
“As part of this investigation, with support from Operation Dragoon, we trawled through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and followed an endless document trail to map out this complex web of criminality.
“Most speeding offences result in an offer to attend a speed awareness course or three penalty points and a fine. However, by allowing Ahmed to provide police with false information on their behalf, the defendants have received a far greater punishment.”
Following the sentencing, PC Wood added: “I hope this case sends out a strong message to the community – this type of criminality will not be tolerated, we will catch perpetrators and anyone involved will be made to face the consequences.”
Clockwise from top left: Oliur Chowdhury, 29; Afsar Ali, 27; Abdul Shohid, 62; Shayer Miah, 46; Mohammad Sharif, 50; Stefan Lambert, 29; Rebecca Lambert, 31; Saeed Laskar, 24