Gold bangle scam trio jailed
7 November 2018, 17:10 | Updated: 7 November 2018, 17:13
Three jewellers who falsely claimed that sets of gold bangles they manufactured and sold were made from higher quality gold have been jailed for a total of 14 years.
Ibrar Hussain, 38, and Sabhia Shaheen, 40, of Shiza Jewellers, based at 681 Stratford Road, together with 47-year-old Mohammed Afsar, known as Malik, of Zaiver Jewellers, at 787 Stratford Road, hatched a plan to manufacture and pass off low quality gold bangles as 22 carat by infilling them with silver copper and other alloys and applying a heavy gold plate to finish.
By doing this they were able to increase their profits per set of bangles by as much as £1,200.
Birmingham Trading Standards officers carried out test purchases of gold bangle sets described as 22 carat at both jewellers – but when tested by the Birmingham Assay Office, the bangles were found to be of low quality gold and in some cases could only be hallmarked at no more than 14 carat.
As a consequence, raids were carried out by Birmingham Trading Standards at both jewellers, where workshops manufacturing the bangles were found. The scam had been in operation for more than five years and it is thought that all three profited by as much as £1 million over that period.
