Five people have appeared in court accused of running a fraudulent scheme after a Scottish millionaire was scammed out of a fortune.
The four men and one woman were arrested, along with two other men, as part of an ongoing probe into “significant fraud” in which a victim from South Lanarkshire had a seven-figure sum stolen between May and August of this year.
It follows a cross-border investigation involving Police Scotland and policing partners in Essex, London and Eastbourne.
Police Scotland officers were assisted by partners from the National Crime Agency’s National Economic Crime Centre and colleagues from other police forces.
Mukesh Vippanapelli, 41, from Dagenham, Vageesan Sunmugaraja, 50, from Ilford, Sunil Theyath, 39, from Romford, and Hafeeza Samreen, 34, and, Umar Mohammed, 39, both from Eastbourne, appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court on Monday.
All face a single charge of being involved with a fraudulent scheme.
They made no plea, and were all committed for further examination and remanded in custody.
They are all due to appear at court again within eight days.
The arrests took place in Eastbourne, Stansted, Dagenham and East Ham in London.
Two other men, aged 23 and 28, were released to appear at court at a later date.
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