Crash for cash scammer staged 11 collisions at SAME Northampton roundabout to make fake car insurance claims

Accused claimed to be modern slavery victim forced into committing offences - but jury took just 67 minutes to find him guilty
By Kevin Nicholls
Published 25th Feb 2022, 13:11 BST
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A 'crash for cash scammer' is in prison after being found guilty of staging 11 collisions at the same Northampton junction to make fake insurance claims.

Emal Ahmadzai, of no fixed address, was part of a gang which deliberately caused shunts at the Upton roundabout junction between January 2017 and April 2018.

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Ahmadzai, aged 29, was one of four men arrested after police were called to one collision and found them swapping number plates on a BMW and Mercedes.

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Ahmadzai staged a series of shunts at a roundbout near Upton as part of an insurance scamAhmadzai staged a series of shunts at a roundbout near Upton as part of an insurance scam
Ahmadzai staged a series of shunts at a roundbout near Upton as part of an insurance scam

He was charged after detectives identified Ahmadzai as the driver in a number of other collisions filmed by locals.

Lead Investigator, Detective Sergeant Simon Seed of Northamptonshire Police Economic Crime Unit, said: This was an organised pattern of offending by a determined group with Ahmadzai being a key player.

“These crimes placed members of the public at risk in order to stage crashes and make demands for money to repair the damage.

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“Ahmadzai thought he was above the law but we pursued him, alongside the Insurance Fraud Bureau, and he was rightly found guilty.

“If anyone is involved in a crash and there are demands to make payment without going through insurance, then I would encourage them to call the police.”

At his trial held at Northampton Crown Court on earlier this month (February 18), Amhadzai claimed he was a victim of modern slavery who had been trafficked to the UK and forced to commit offences.

But a jury dismissed that, taking just 67 minutes to unanimously find him guilty of all 11 offences.

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Amhadzai, who was also convicted of 11 offences of driving while disqualified, was remanded into custody and will be sentenced in April.

Stephen Dalton, Head of Intelligence and Investigations at the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) said: “Emal Ahamadzai’s actions were extremely reckless and cowardly.

“Not only was he putting innocent road users in danger, but he continuously denied any responsibility despite the overwhelming evidence against him.

“Sadly, dangerous crash for cash scams are common and we are determined to crackdown on the issue.

"If anyone has seen evidence of a crash for cash, we urge them to report it to our confidential Cheatline or by calling 0800 422 0421.”