Counterfeit gang faces prison over £5 million in forged notes

EIGHT members of a £5million London-based counterfeiting operation are set to be jailed today.

Among the gang facing sentencing at Snaresbrook crown court is Britain's oldest prisoner, 83-year-old Dennis Hancox, whose Chiswick flat was used as a base to print the fake money.

After a 10-month operation, officers seized £600,000 in forged £20 notes and 1.2million in fake euros.

Forged notes worth more than £5 million have been detected in Britain and around Europe. Some counterfeit £50 notes passed through Post Offices and shops such as Marks & Spencer, and others are thought to have been laundered through casinos and betting shops.

The gang was brought to justice by the elite Serious Organised Crime Agency, working with police in Scotland, specialist crown prosecution lawyers and the Bank of England.

They launched Operation Guitar in October 2006 originally targeting the link between Tony Rees, a man of "personal interest to Soca", and James Watson.

The trail led them from London to Glasgow and back, with key meetings under surveillance at locations ranging from Claridge's to the South Acton Working Men's Club. Detectives watched as Watson linked up with Tom McAnea, 58, known as Hollogram Tam, who ran a printing business in Glasgow.

Reputed to be one of the best forgers in Europe, he has since been jailed for six years for running a similar operation able to produce £2million of fake notes a day. McAnea met the gang's leaders who had established a sophisticated command structure. Shortly before his arrest, the focus of the operation was switched to London where production could be accelerated. Lithograph printers were used to compress the security-foiling and holograms.

Notes were ferried around London in suitcases, holdalls, carrier bags and bin liners. Some £20 notes were sold for as little as £3.50. Two other members of the gang Angus Weaver and Michael Duffy were seen in parked cars counting fake £20 notes in their laps. Most of the gang were arrested between July and October 2007.

James Allen, 59, of west London, Weaver, 52, and Watson, 58, both of east London, Rees, 46, of Essex, Hancox, 83, and Duffy, both of Chiswick, Sherif Oki, 29, of east London, and Donald O'Flynn, 69, of Bedford, all admitted their part in the conspiracy. Three others denied the charges but were convicted by jury.

HOW TO SPOT A FAKE

A guide to identifying forgeries has been released by the Bank of England.

The leaflet advises consumers to follow eight steps to ensure their £20 bank notes are genuine.

People are advised to check:

●The paper and the raised print. Real notes have a "unique" feel. Run your finger across the front and feel the raised print.

●The metallic thread. Hold it up to the light and the thread will appear as a continuous dark line.

●The watermark. Hold the note up to the light and on the left of the front you will see an image of the Queen.

●The print quality. The lines and colours are sharp, clear and free from smudges or blurred edges.

●The holograms. Tilt the note one way and see an image of Adam Smith. Tilt it the other and see a pound sign and the figure 20.

●Put the note under ultra-violet light and on the front the figure 20 appears in bright red and green.

●Under a magnifying glass the lettering beneath the Queen's portrait will reveal the value of the note.

●Hold the note up to the light and coloured irregular shapes combine to form the pound sign.