Gang jailed over East Lancashire armed robbery conspiracy

A gang have been jailed for a total of 33 years over an armed robbery conspiracy in East Lancashire.

On 11th August 2022 police were called to Birtwistle Street in Accrington following reports Danesh Hussain and a second man had been threatened with an imitation firearm and a knife and robbed. Danesh’s father, Abid Hussain, later found a phone which belonged to one of the alleged robbers.

In the following months police arrested and charged Raihan Miah, Hilton Mhasvi and Benedict Larbi as part of that investigation. They were remanded into custody by magistrates in Blackburn.

Danesh and Abid Hussain and a third individual did not attend court on the first day of the trial in relation to the robbery matter on 16th January, this year. Enquiries found they had instead flown to Pakistan the previous evening.

The case was adjourned until 24th January and Abid Hussain did attend court on that occasion. But in the absence of Danesh Hussain and the third individual, prosecutors had to offer no evidence in that case. Mhasvi, Miah, Larbi and two other individuals were acquitted of conspiring to commit robbery.

Further enquiries unravelled a conspiracy between defendants Wahid Hussain, Hilton Mhasvi, Nabid Uddin, Miah, Sandrah Mhasvi to conspire together with Abid and Danesh Hussain to pervert the course of justice.

Enquiries found that there were communications with phones in prison - largely attributed to Mhasvi - to third parties outside including Hilton’s sister Sandrah, Wahid Hussain and Uddin.

Wahid Hussain facilitated communication between Hilton Mhasvi Danesh and Abid Hussain. He also arranged a three-way call between himself, Hilton Mhasvi and Danesh Hussain.  Sandrah Mhasvi facilitated her brother’s communication with others outside prison, including between Hilton and Danesh Hussin over Snapchat.

Miah and Larbi were aware of and contributed to the conspiracy from inside custody. Working with Uddin, Miah coordinated payments to Abid and Danesh Hussain using a cryptocurrency account.

Having been found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice earlier this year, the below individuals were sentenced at Preston Crown Court to the following:

Hilton Mhasvi, 26, of Trotwood, Chigwell, Essex, - also found guilty of Prison Communication Offences – was jailed for six and a half years

Benedict Larbi, 27, of no fixed address, was jailed for five years

Danesh Hussain, 20, of Birtwistle Street, Accrington, was jailed for 27 months

Abid Hussain, 52, of Wellington Street, Accrington, was jailed for three years

Wahid Hussain, 35, of no fixed address, who was also convicted of ABH on a police officer and dangerous driving,  was jailed for three and a half years

Sandrah Mhasvi, 30, of North Street, Romford, was jailed for three and a half years

Nabid Uddin, 24, of no fixed address, was jailed for four and a half years

Raihan Miah, 27, of Priory Close, Churchfields, London, pleaded guilty and was jailed for five and a half years.

The sentencing judge described it as an a ‘elaborate, sophisticated and concerted plot’.

DS Steve Craig, from East CID, said: “This was a complex investigation - firstly into the initial armed robbery allegation and then the conspiracy offence – which took up a significant amount of police resources and time.

“I welcome the sentences handed down by the judge and I hope they send a clear message that the police and courts will not tolerate this sort of offending. We will thoroughly investigate it and do everything in our powers to put you in the dock – no matter how elaborate, sophisticated and concerted you think your conspiracy might be.”