By Hook or By Crook

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Sons of Abu Hamza jailed on several counts at Southwark Crown Court

Three sons of the jailed cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri have been jailed today for their part in the theft of more than £1 million worth of luxury cars.

His sons Hamza Kamel, 22, and Mohamed Mostafa, 27 - both from Acton ran the two-year fraud with his stepson Mohssin Ghailam, 28 from Shepherd's Bush.

Southwark Crown Court heard they targeted cars in long-stay car parks, fraudulently obtaining their log books and keys before selling the cars on.

Four other London men also admitted their involvement.

Radical Muslim preacher Abu Hamza was jailed in 2006 for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred in speeches he made at Finsbury Park Mosque in north London. He faces extradition to the US for allegedly setting up an al-Qaeda training camp. Last year another of his seven sons, Yasser Mostafa Kamel, 18, narrowly escaped jail after admitting burglary.

On Wednesday the court heard that his sons were arrested in November last year, following a police investigation into the organised theft and resale of luxury cars in London.

Prosecutor Martyn Bowyer told the hearing: "This was a sophisticated, well-planned and professionally executed enterprise."

The gang identified luxury cars such as Mercedes, BMWs and Range Rovers left in long-stay car parks in London and applied to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to change the address.

If the DVLA did not receive a reply from the original address within 14 days, a new log book would be sent out to an address supplied by the gang.

The defendants would then inform the DVLA that the name of the registered keeper had also changed, enabling them to obtain keys for the vehicle.

The gang then stole the cars, selling them to unsuspecting buyers or using them as collateral to take out loans which they never repaid.

Mr Bowyer said: "This was the defendants seeking to exploit a loophole in the system at the DVLA."

Police identified 32 vehicles that were used in the fraud, valued at more than £1m.

Kamel pleaded guilty to counts of dishonest handling of stolen cars and money laundering and was handed two and a half years in prison.

Mostafa pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, which involved the use of a false French passport and a utility bill to secure a £12,000 loan and to obtain keys for a BMW.

 

May 28, 2009