Overview
- Sharmarke Ahmed, 34, was sentenced to 28 months at Chester Crown Court on October 23 after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods.
- On March 5, he phoned a Malpas resident in her 90s claiming local crime activity and arranged a password-verified collection by a supposed officer.
- The victim handed over £11,000 in cash and jewellery valued at £16,000, a total loss of £27,000.
- Police linked a pay-as-you-go number activated that day to the Brixton area, matched CCTV in Malpas and at Chester bus station, and the Met arrested Ahmed in London on April 1.
- Cheshire Police say similar courier-fraud reports were logged in early March and urge victims to report quickly using a different phone or online.