An Indian-origin woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison on July 30 by a court in southwest England for defrauding retailers and other businesses.
Narinder Kaur, also known as Nina Tiara, 54, was found guilty on 26 counts of fraud, money laundering, and perverting the course of justice in March 2023.
Prosecutors stated that Kaur had engaged in large-scale shoplifting and deceived retailers into refunding her for items she never purchased. She was sentenced at Gloucestershire Crown Court for stealing from over 1,000 shops across the UK.
Between July 2015 and September 2019, Kaur reportedly netted around US$ 2,500 (£2,000) worth of refunds per week, totaling over half a million pounds in fraudulent refunds and stolen goods. Aware of the ongoing investigation into her activities, she further defrauded other businesses by using dishonestly obtained credit card details of members of the public.
"This sentence today sends out a clear message that West Mercia Police will deal seriously with prolific fraudsters," said Steve Tristram, Fraud Investigator from West Mercia Police's Economic Crime Unit.
"Kaur is a calculated individual who committed offenses across the country, dishonestly claiming refunds on items she had stolen. She showed no remorse for her actions and even thought she would get away with submitting false documents to the court with the intention of perverting the course of justice," he said.
In 2018, the police force took charge of the investigation into Kaur, collaborating with the UK's National Business Crime Solution, an organization representing retailers, and other police forces in a "multi-agency approach."
"We were able to investigate further into her criminal activity and found fraudulent activity in her bank accounts which subsequently brought her to justice," added Tristram.
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