Police welcome jailing of pair involved in counterfeiting plot
Police from Shropshire have welcomed the jailing of two men involved in a major counterfeiting plot, pledging they will seek to strip them of proceeds gained from their crimes.
Inspector Ian Rouse was speaking after a 54-year-old Bridgnorth man was sentenced to seven years after being found guilty at Shrewsbury Crown Court of conspiring to make counterfeit money. He had denied the offence and cannot be named for legal reasons.
The second man, 44-year-old Robert Graham Smith, of Bedford Street, Tipton, West Midlands was jailed for three years and four months after admitting the same charge.
The court heard how they had produced “high quality” fake pound coins and when police foiled their activities, the potential yield was £538,000 with plans to increase production to 10,000 coins a week.
West Mercia police officers led the investigation, carrying out a search warrant at a business unit on Heathmill Enterprise Centre, Wombourne in July 2012 where they discovered a stash of blank discs ready to be printed.
Inspector Rouse said: “We are delighted with the outcome. This was a major police investigation reflecting excellent work by Shropshire and Telford intelligence and pro-active units.
“It has been a long-running inquiry into the activities of an organised gang mass-producing counterfeit pound coins. West Mercia Police were assisted by officers from Staffordshire Police and other police forces, as well as by specialists from the National Counterfeit Currency Unit and staff from the Royal Mint.
“This team effort has resulted in a successful prosecution. A financial investigation is now being undertaken to identify the amount of benefit they obtained from this crime and to confiscate their assets.
“In due course, the West Mercia Police Economic Crime Unit will apply to the courts for this money to be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act. We always seek to ensure criminals do not benefit from any funds they have made from their offences.”
He added: “This court case and the successful prosecution sends out a strong message that the police will strive to bring to justice those people whose criminal activities impact on the public at large and on the economy.”
