back to article Hefty porridge for £300m VAT ring

Five members of a missing trader fraud gang have received sentences of up to four and a half years for a £17m scam based around mobile phones, HMRC revealed yesterday. The gang nobbled the revenue in a "complicated" fraud centred on mobile phones, SIM cards, memory and other mobile phone accessories. HMRC said paperwork …

COMMENTS

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  1. clint11

    Hefty Porridge, Not

    If they behave themselves, they will only spend between one third to half that time in prison. Wheres the deterrent in that.

    1. Version 1.0 Silver badge
      Happy

      Training Course

      A friend of mine wound up doing 18 months some years ago because he'd failed to notice that the Chemists Shop had a silent alarm ... but ittaught him not to break into Chemists shops.

      Instead he came out and set up a flourishing importation business with all the useful contacts and training that he'd received. I don't think that two years in jail and not being allowed to be a company director (ROTFLMAO on that one) for a couple of years is such a bad deal considering the contacts and training that they will get.

  2. Richard 120

    Vodafone?

    "The gang nobbled the revenue in a "complicated" fraud centred on mobile phones, SIM cards, memory and other mobile phone accessories"

  3. Trevor Marron
    FAIL

    The porridge will be easy to swallow

    I am sure the porridge will be easy to swallow. They have no doubt tucked away enough to have a sweet time when they get out.

    I work hard for my 32K take a year, I would do 5 years in the pokey if there was a million hidden away for when I got out.

  4. HollyHopDrive
    Coat

    Ready....

    Well VAT'll certainly teach em.

    yes I know, coat and door...

  5. Hans 1
    FAIL

    greed, greed, greed

    ... you always l0se in the end.

    And yes, they should've gotten much harsher treatment ...

  6. JaitcH
    Happy

    Not a bad take even for 4.5 years

    Split proportionately between the 5 of them, based on the time awarded, these guys still prove crime pays.

    Kind of stupid for not registering property in a trusted third party, but there again there's supposed to be no honour amongst thieves so maybe they couldn't trust anyone!

  7. Alan Brown Silver badge
    WTF?

    second (at least) offence and a slap on the wrist???

    Second time around on similar charges and they'll be free to do it all again in 18 months?

    Something's not quite right, when another fraudster just got 15 years...

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