Officers from South Wales Police have today arrested four people for their involvement in a mobile phone insurance scam which has netted between £4 and £5 million over a 5 year period. The Police have identified in excess of 300 victims to date.
Following a two year investigation, officers conducted simultaneous warrants at a business premises in the city centre together with other residential addresses in the Sketty, Manselton and Birchgrove areas.
All four persons, three men aged 43, 29 and 28, and a woman aged 25 are currently in custody at Swansea Police station.
The pre-planned operation involved more than 40 officers from the Western Division and the Economic Crime Unit of South Wales Police. The warrants are a result of many months of preparatory work by specialist officers who target organised crime groups.
Acting Detective Inspector Barrie McGregor of the Economic Crime Unit, said:
“This operation and the arrests are a significant part of our ongoing drive to actively target individuals who we believe are causing the greatest harm to our communities. The public can be reassured that we will do everything in our power to target and investigate those individuals involved in organised crime. We will utilise our expertise to secure their convictions and strip them of any assets they have gained through their involvement in crime”.
Neighbourhood policing teams across the division will be working to reassure communities and inform residents about the operation.
Superintendent Phil Davies, operational commander for Swansea, added: “Yet again this is an excellent example of how specialist officers are working hard behind the scenes to target those individuals who are intent in using their criminal activities in order to defraud innocent and vulnerable people”
“The message is simple, no one is above and beyond the law and anyone involved in serious organised crime will be targeted, and brought to justice”
