Huge police raid aimed at halting benefits scam
POLICE launched the biggest operation in the history of the single force yesterday with 100 officers raiding properties to break up a huge benefit fraud scam.
Sixteen arrests were made in dawn raids as officers moved to hollow out an organised crime gang that had allegedly raked in £4.6 million by forging documents to defraud the UK benefit system.
Dubbed Operation Arnos, around 37 properties in the Govanhill and south side areas of Glasgow were targeted in the operation, in which cannabis plants worth £200,000 were also seized.
The haul of more than 200 productions from a business in Govanhill included documentation and electronic devices.
It is understood the false benefit claimants who assisted in the sophisticated scam will now be investigated by police.
Assistant Chief Constable Gillian Macdonald, of Crime and Public Protection, said the offensive has been planned since late last year.
She said: “Today’s operation is the largest of its kind since Police Scotland came into being.
“Quite simply it is targeting organised crime in one of our local communities here in Govanhill. What we are dealing with today is an almost industrial scale benefit fraud, an attack on the UK benefits system by an organised crime group.”
And she added: “What we believe to have been happening in the area is that an organised crime group have essentially been preparing a fraudulent scheme which enables individuals to claim benefits to which they are not entitled.
“They have been, as we understand it, providing documentation which is false. Providing information round about employment which doesn’t exist in some cases. Essentially providing a package of information that enables an individual to make a benefits claim and be successful in getting money from the UK benefit system that they are not entitled to.”
The unprecedented racket co-ordinated within Govanhill is understood to have come to light after discrepancies were raised by the Department of Work and Pensions.
Police Scotland hope that the raids will help them understand exactly how the fraud has been carried out.
ACC Macdonald said: “The organised crime group are undoubtedly benefitting financially from the fraud given the scale of it.
“We are talking fraudulent activity to the tune of over £4 million. The individuals who are carrying out the transactions will be benefitting too but to a far lesser degree.”
She added: “Govanhill is probably the most diverse community in Scotland. There are over 50 languages currently spoken here. What we will find is a range of nationalities involved in our executive action.
“There will be indigenous Scots migrants and second generations individuals who have been in the community for years as well.” Detective Inspector Brian Gallagher, of the National Human Trafficking unit at Gartcosh, also helped with the operation and advised officers to look out for signs of victims of modern-day slavery.
He added: “The difficulty with human trafficking investigations is it sometimes sits underneath the main criminality which is involved. That is why we are preparing our officers to have that knowledge.”
To date about £1.5m of fraudulent benefit claims have already been stopped.
Bob Gallacher, senior investigations leader at the DWP, warned this type of criminality is in cities throughout the UK.
And Joe Hendry, assistant director of HMRC’S Fraud Investigation Service, said: “This is suspected benefit fraud on a massive scale.
“Benefit fraud is theft – it takes taxpayers’ money from our vital public services and puts it into the pockets of criminals.
“We will continue working with our partners to investigate and stop these offences.”