A high-stakes warning has been issued to a prolific fraudster who orchestrated a colossal postal scam, with Judge Philip Bartle KC at Southwark Crown Court ordering him to repay £5.1m to Royal Mail or face an additional eight-and-a-half years in prison. Narinder Sandhu, 64, was handed this ultimatum on the heels of his four-year prison sentence in February 2024 for conspiracy to commit fraud.
The elaborate scheme, which spanned from 2005 to 2017 through logistics companies in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, collectively cost Royal Mail an estimated £70 million. As revealed during the recent confiscation hearing, Sandhu ran a postal firm, Packpost International Ltd (PPIL), which profited by £67.3 million from the fraudulent activities.
Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Sandhu had transferred nearly £10 million to himself from PPIL and claimed he was currently earning just £14 per hour stacking shelves at Tesco. However, investigators uncovered a significantly more lucrative lifestyle, with Rolls Royce and Bentley cars among his possessions, as well as a seized mansion in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, valued at £2.6 million.
Judge Bartle KC condemned Sandhu's attempts to mislead the court about his assets, stating that he had lied regarding the whereabouts of £770,000. The judge subsequently ruled that Sandhu possessed £5.1m available for repayment to Royal Mail, despite his claims to be struggling financially.