Chinese credit card gang jailed (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Chinese credit card gang jailed

7:47am Monday 19th February 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

Two members of a gang of Chinese credit card cheats have been jailed for using cloned cards in Swindon town centre.

Qi Xue, 21, was jailed for 15 months and Zian-Qui Zhang, 20, for four months for going equipped to cheat and deception offences.

But the other two members of the London based gang did not turn up for sentencing having been granted bail.

Jie He, 19 is now thought to be on the run after post sent to his home in Woolwich was returned by the Royal Mail.

The other, a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, has not spoken to his legal team since before Christmas.

Chris Smyth, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court Zhang, He, Xue, and the teenager came to Swindon together on Saturday June 17 last year.

Each was armed with cloned credit cards and were trying to use them to buy gift vouchers from town centre stores.

Xue, of Bradfield Square, Swindon, was accused of going equipped to cheat and obtaining vouchers worth £500 by deception pleaded not guilty to both matters but was convicted following a trial.

The other three all pleaded guilty to going equipped and various other deception charges.

Zhang, of Hendon, north London, admitted attempting to obtain gift vouchers worth £500 from HMV.

He, of Shooters Hill, Woolwich, admitted trying to obtain a Sony digital camcorder from Jessops and with the 17-year-old, also of Woolwich, pleaded guilty to a joint charge of trying to get £500 of vouchers from HMV.

Mr Smyth said Zhang was caught when staff at HMV became suspicious after he asked for the vouchers.

When he was questioned Zhang told how they had come from London and been given the cards by Xue, who he referred to as Monkey'. He said he was sorry for what he had done and knew it was wrong.

The court heard Xue was convicted of similar charges on two occasions in Milton Keynes in 2005 and Andover last year.

Richard Wood, for Xue, said his client had spent almost eight months in custody awaiting trial but would not be released until his immigration situation was sorted out.

Rachel Troup, for Zhang, said her client had no previous convictions and was full of remorse for what he had done.

She said he had been in the country since 2005 and his immigration status was also uncertain.

Recorder Timothy Mousley QC sentenced the men, both of whom have overstayed their visas, to jail terms which had already been served on remand.

He said "These offences were planned. You came from London as a team with the intention of getting as much money as you could dishonestly.

"In these circumstances all these offences are so serious that there must be a custodial sentence."

He also issued a warrant without bail for He and a warrant with bail for the 17-year-old.