Ex-cop jailed for £330 million VAT fraud

A FORMER policeman from Kiveton has been jailed for ten years and three months for his part in an attempted £330 million VAT fraud - the largest of its kind in the UK.

Nigel Cranswick, 47, Danby Road and five others were caught by investigators from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) after they claimed their new business, Ideas 2 Go Ltd, which was run from Dinnington Business Centre in Dinnington, had sold more than six million mobile phones and had a turnover of more than £2.4 billion in just eight months.

Using details from hijacked or fictitious companies the gang produced thousands of invoices for sales of mobile phones and computer software, producing billions of pounds in fabricated turnover, which generated around £330 million in fraudulent VAT repayments. Cranswick and his gang invented more than 6,000 fake business transactions in an attempt to make the repayments appear legitimate.

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Other members of the gang included Cranswick’s sister, Clare Reid, 44, and her partner Darren Smyth, 42, both of Beech road, Maltby, Thomas Murphy, 26, of Sycamore Avenue, Creswell, Andrew Marsh, 30 of Church Street, Wales and Brian Olive, 66, of Buttermere Close, Carcroft.

For the full story pick up a copy of this week’s Dinnington Guardian, out on Friday.