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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Holly Bishop

Fraudster flaunted £126,000 Porsche before arrest over Covid PPE scam

A fraudster who ran a PPE scam during the pandemic posed with his new Porsche ahead of his arrest.

Jogesh Bhandari, 59, of Loughborough, and Craig Morris, 43, of Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, falsely claimed they could supply millions of boxes of nitrile gloves to businesses and healthcare providers.

The fraudsters used the proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, spending the money on cars, watches, jewellery and worldwide travel.

Footage shows Bhandari posing with a £126,000 Porsche. “Can’t stop smiling,” he said posed inside his brand new vehicle. A later clip shows Bhandari, as well as his wife Meenakashi, being arrested in his home.

Meenakash was convicted of money laundering, with bank records showing that some of the defrauded money was used to repay her personal debts.

All three defendants were arrested in February 2023 and charged with fraud by false representation and money laundering. They were convicted on Wednesday (15 July) and are scheduled to be sentenced on 21 August.

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