FIVE men have been ordered to pay back money to elderly victims after £200,000 was stolen during telephone fraud.

Confiscation orders were made after the men admitted being part of a telephone fraud against 50 victims from the ages of 49 to 96.

Householders were called on their landline telephone numbers while 15 victims were persuaded to hand over money, with a total of over £200,000 being stolen.

An investigation took place which was followed under Operation Hyperion and led by officers from West Mercia Police and other forces.

Rejwanul Islam, who was involved in co-ordinating the group and making direct contact with victims on the telephone, had previously been sentenced to six years imprisonment, in February 2019. He was deemed to have benefitted by £213,000 for his role in the fraud. Despite this, Islam was deemed to have only £1,500 available and he was ordered to pay this within three months or face a default sentence of 14 days imprisonment.

Orders were also made against three brothers, Mohammed Nasir Miah, Mohammed Nawaz Miah and Mohammed Nazeem Miah, who had been acting as couriers visiting vulnerable victims across the country to collect cash and bank cards from them.

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Mohammed Nasir Miah had previously been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment (suspended for two years), in February 2019. He was deemed to have benefitted by £10,520 for his role in the fraud, however only has £213 available and he was ordered to pay this within three months or face a default sentence of seven days imprisonment.

Mohammed Nawaz Miah had previously been sentenced to three years imprisonment, in February 2019. He was deemed to have benefitted by £213,000 for his role in the fraud but had no assets available and was ordered to pay £1 within three months or face a default sentence of one day.

Mohammed Nazeem Miah had previously been sentenced to 30 months imprisonment in February 2019. He was deemed to have benefitted by £213,000, however, he was deemed to have only £720 available, which he was ordered to repay within three months or face a default sentence of 14 days.

Mohammed Kashem, who was the uncle of the three brothers and was also involved as a courier, had previously been sentenced to four years imprisonment, in February 2019. He was deemed to have benefitted by £213,000 for his role in the fraud but had no assets available and was also ordered to pay £1 within three months or face a default sentence of one day.

Between April and June 2016, telephone fraud offences took place across Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Cumbria, West Midlands, Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire and Thames Valley.

At Worcester Crown Court on December 13, His Honour Judge Cartwright ordered that all sums repaid through the confiscation orders were to be directed as compensation to victims.