Overview

• Jeevan Bathula, 28, pleaded guilty and on September 26 received an 18‑month sentence at Durham Crown Court together with a deportation order.
• Investigators said overseas callers posed as bank fraud teams, directing victims to post cash to a Durham address where Bathula filmed himself opening parcels and counting money before dispersing it.
• A City of London Police tip led to a Royal Mail interception and Bathula’s arrest at his Churchill Square home on March 12.
• Officers seized £16,790 in cash and about £13,000 from his account, with proceeds‑of‑crime proceedings scheduled for January 31, 2026.
• Prosecutors linked at least six victims aged 70 or over across the UK and Ireland and estimated Bathula handled £109,000 to £123,000 during February–March.