A HAPLESS pair of fraudsters

15/12/2009
A HAPLESS pair of fraudsters who were paid to take more than 40 driving tests across the country, including in Oldham and Failsworth, have been jailed. Between them, Ali Abdullah (28), of City Road, Hulme, and Muqtar Nuren (22), of Staycott Street, Moss Side, took 27 practical tests and 16 theory tests for 35 different candidates on a “no pass, no fee” basis. The pair only managed to pass seven practical and three theory tests between them between October, 2006, and July, 2008. The scam targeted theory test centres in Salford, Runcorn, Preston, Stockport, St Helens and Ilford in east London, as well as practical test centres in Oldham, Failsworth, Sale, Bury, Cheetham Hill, Huddersfield and Redditch in Worcestershire. Suspicions were raised because they looked nothing like the people pictured on the provisional licences they were using, and an investigation was launched by the Driving Standards Agency. The pair were arrested in July last year after being linked to the cheat tests by CCTV. Both were found to have two licences each and it is believed they were part of a ring of crooks. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud in October this year. At Manchester Crown Court yesterday, Abdullah was sentenced to three years in jail, and Nuren for a year, for conspiracy to defraud the DSA. Speaking of the “spectacularly unsophisticated” fraud Joe Boyd, representing Abdullah, said the success rate was abysmal. He added: “It was an enormous amount of effort for very little reward, the benefit is minuscule.” Benjamin Myers, for Nuren, said: “Staff at the centres appeared to be aware of what was happening. There were a number of times when Nuren was challenged.” The DSA will now seek to revoke all licences obtained by illegal means. Speaking after the sentencing, Michelle Moston, deputy head of DSA’s fraud and integrity team, said: “People like Abdullah and Nuren present a real risk to all road users as they provide an entitlement to drive to those who have not been assessed to show that they are competent to do so.”