WEST Yorkshire Police have helped recover some of the money made by a fraudster.

A court yesterday ordered Feezan Hammed to pay £2million in three months or face a further eight years in prison in a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.

Hameed was jailed in 2016 for masterminding a £113m 'vishing' fraud of RBS and Lloyds customers.

Ramona Senior, head of the West Yorkshire Police Economic Crime Unit, said: “The investigation into the activities of an Organised Crime Group who committed fraud on significant scale across the UK was extremely complex.

"The case was successfully prosecuted by the Metropolitan Police with evidence being gathered by multiple police forces including West Yorkshire Police officers who gathered significant evidence supporting the associated money laundering activity."

“The Force’s Financial Investigation Unit have conducted extensive enquiries with regards to Hameed which has been complicated by the nature of his offending and the defendant’s actions in hiding and transferring assets overseas.

“The order made today will be robustly enforced and if Hameed fails to pay this order he will face a further eight years in prison and the debt he owes to society will remain with him for life until paid in full.

“It is important to remember the victims in this case. We have been speaking to them and they are happy and relieved to be able to recoup some of the money they lost. In many cases the offending is still quite raw for the victims and led to the collapse of some businesses and loss of jobs.

“Hameed’s case is typical of the sort of case that we investigate. We often find that criminals are prepared to serve their time in jail but hate having their ill-gotten gains taken from them.

“I am very proud of my team who relentlessly pursue criminals for their ill-gotten gains and stop at nothing to make sure they pay the money owed.”

West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Mark Burns-Williamson said: “The positive action that West Yorkshire Police undertakes in seizing criminal assets cannot be underestimated, especially in terms of what it means for our local communities.

“Their relentless pursuit of those who bring misery to victims and communities means large sums of money are then available through my Safer Communities Fund (SCF).

“In the last financial year alone, I have been able to offer three grant rounds to the tune of over £600,000 as a direct result of what is seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“It means that we can tackle some of the most significant threats facing our county through the support of local groups and organisations, who are dedicated to ‘keeping West Yorkshire safe and feeling safe’ which is the vision of my Police and Crime Plan."