AN ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE woman has narrowly avoided jail for her part in scamming more than £250,000 from victims.
Nadia Simelane was one of four members of a ‘courier fraud’ network, where criminals impersonate police or bank officials to trick victims into handing over cash, bank cards, PINs, or valuables to a courier who visits their home and which police described as ‘a large-scale fraud and money laundering operation.’
Officers in the North East received a report in August 2025 that an elderly man had been contacted by fraudsters claiming to be from his bank.
That was then passed by the Northumbria force to the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) after the victim was told there had been fraudulent activity involving his bank account and that a courier would collect his bank cards, PIN number and phone.
The scammers then used the cards to make large cash withdrawals and purchases and during NEROCU’s investigation, further victims in Newcastle, Northumberland, Cleveland, Darlington, Leeds, Colchester, Keswick, Shipley, Derbyshire and Stoke-on-Trent were found.
Officers, supported by Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU) and Greater Manchester Police, were able to identify suspects and carried out what was called a ‘strike phase’ – arresting tie four, including 34-year-old Simelane, of Trafalgar Street.
Searches of cars resulted in the discovery of thousands of pounds worth of Apple products and high value items from Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.
Multiple mobile phones and bank cards in the names of others were also uncovered.
The group were faced with an extremely comprehensive case of evidence against them and all pleaded guilty last December and March 2026, before being sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, October 9.
Simelane pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and money laundering and was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
Saif Hussain, of Leeds, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and was sentenced to four years and three months.
Brendan Mbara, of Castleford, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and money laundering and was sentenced to three years and 10 months.
Faith Moyo, of the Bramley area of Leeds, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and money laundering and was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
Detective Constable Sophie Snowdon, part of NEROCU’s Proactive Economic Crime Team, said: “Courier Fraud is an abhorrent crime which generally targets the elderly and most vulnerable in our communities and thankfully, this is just the latest robust action taken against criminals looking to implement and run fraud operations in our region.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in this investigation, our partners in Northumbria Police, Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU) and Greater Manchester Police, this has been yet another fantastic display of a united police front against fraudsters.”