Two arrested after properties searched in suspected fraud probe

Two people have been arrested after we searched two addresses in Rugeley as part of a multi-agency fraud investigation.

On Wednesday (20 November), officers and staff from various police teams and other partners, including Staffordshire County Council’s trading standards and the Department for Work and Pensions, carried out warrants at a business premises on Brook Square and a home in Handsacre.

We found a suspected cannabis grow, weapons, mobile phones and fake goods.

The action was part of an investigation into the alleged online distribution of counterfeit goods, including clothing, electrical items, cosmetics, and tobacco, and benefit fraud.

A 30-year-old woman, from the Rugeley area, and a 31-year-old man, from Birmingham, have been arrested on suspicion fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class B drugs, and possession of offensive weapons.

Both have been released on conditional bail while our enquiries continue.

Detective David Stubbs, leading the investigation, said: “We are investigating after receiving multiple reports from members of the public in Staffordshire that they have not received goods they have paid for and I want to encourage other potential victims to come forward.

“Being a victim of fraud can be upsetting at the best of times, but its impact is felt more when money is tight and leading up to the Christmas period. Please be extra vigilant when shopping online.”

Contact us on 101, or through Live Chat quoting incident number 62 of 20 November.

To report anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

You can also report any concerns to Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, via actionfraud.police.uk

For more advice and information on fraud, visit: https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/