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Home Tunbridge Wells News Article
A £2 million fraud operation was working out of warehouses near Tunbridge Wells.
Wine, flat screen TVs, pressure washers and bathroom fittings were all discovered amongst 281 pallets seized by Kent Police.
Two men arrested after fraud in Tunbridge Wells
Two men have been jailed for their parts in the operation, which saw companies across Europe conned out of thousands of items.
Police were first alerted to the scam in 2017, which saw European companies duped into fulfilling orders from fake wholesalers operating under names of established UK retailers and manufacturers.
The victims only discovered they had been scammed when they contacted the genuine company for payment.
In July 2017 police raided a storage site in Horsmonden, the site's managing director, Timothy Richford, was arrested and sent police to another site in Tibbs Court Farm, Brenchley.
Both were found to be storing hundreds of pallets of items.
Kent Police needed four lorries to collect all of the ill-gotten-goods.
Richford claimed he was innocent, saying he only allowed deliveries because an organised crime gang was behind the haul and he feared for his safety.
The 29-year-old was charged with conspiring to acquire, use, or possess criminal property between February 23 2017 and July 21 2017 as was 50-year-old Christopher Malaley.
Both were found guilty after a trial.
Richford, of Orchard Crescent, Horsmonden and Malaley, of Bourne Vale, Plaxtol, were both sentenced to five years in prison.
Det Const Craig Malthouse was also commended by Judge Tony Baumgartner for his investigation.
DC Malthouse said: "The Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate is committed to tackling those who facilitate organised crime in Kent and these offences were on a very significant scale.
"This has been a lengthy and complex investigation, assisted by our partners at Interpol and the Metropolitan Police and while the offenders who actually orchestrated the fraud and made the orders remain outstanding, we have been able to prove beyond any doubt that Richford and Malaley were complicit in ensuring the goods were received to these warehouses and redistributed throughout the UK."
