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During the Covid-19 pandemic, a group involved in a scam targeting the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) misappropriated hundreds of thousands of pounds, spending the money on luxury items such as high-end cars, watches, and home renovations. Jogesh Bhandari, aged 59, and Craig Morris, aged 43, were found guilty at Leicester Crown Court on charges including conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and the concealment and transfer of criminal property.
Meenakashi Bhandari, 48, was also convicted for her role in concealing and transferring criminal assets. According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), the defendants falsely claimed they could provide millions of boxes of nitrile gloves. The sentencing for all involved is scheduled for 21 August. Bank records revealed that Jogesh and Meenakashi Bhandari, residents of Mitchell Drive in Loughborough, Leicestershire, used the illicit funds to purchase luxury items such as Rolex watches, jewellery, expensive holidays, and cars.
The NCA detailed that Jogesh Bhandari operated a company founded in 2020 to facilitate the buying and selling of nitrile gloves, with Craig Morris aiding in multiple fraudulent transactions during 2020 and 2021. Jogesh attempted to persuade suppliers to work with him by providing forged documents, including bank statements indicating balances as high as $125 million and falsified letters of attestation.
One notable fraud involved a payment exceeding $3.18 million in early 2021 for a nitrile glove order intended for US hospitals, which was never fulfilled. In the final fraudulent transaction, Jogesh received $1.35 million directly into his business account, later transferring £200,000 to Morris and spending money on a new Porsche. All three defendants were taken into custody in February 2023. Paul Boniface, operations manager at the NCA, condemned their actions, explaining that their exploitation during a critical period of PPE demand diverted essential equipment from genuine organizations, resulting in losses far beyond just the financial damage to legitimate businesses. The NCA also noted a related conviction in the US involving another individual named Labruzzo
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