(With inputs from agencies)NEW DELHI: Jaspreet Oberoi, a 40-year-old Indian-origin director of JSJ Metal Recycling Ltd, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his involvement in a gang that stole train track rails from Network Rail locations in East England.Oberoi was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to steal.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated that JSJ Metal Recycling Ltd, under Oberoi's directorship, facilitated the collection of stolen rail and profited by selling it as scrap metal to legitimate businesses.The court heard that insiders provided the locations of the rails to other conspirators, who then used heavy goods vehicles to access the sites with the assistance of railway contractors.The stolen rail was transported to Oberoi's scrap metal business between March and November 2016.Stephane Pendered, a Specialist Prosecutor for CPS Serious Economic Organised Crime International Directorate, emphasized the significance of the conspiracies, stating, "These were significant conspiracies to steal rail. Collectively they stole on 125 occasions from Network Rail which is partly funded by UK taxpayers to the tune of billions of pounds. "During the investigation, the British Transport Police uncovered an additional conspiracy involving Network Rail Manager Ricky Collins, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal.Collins, who was overseeing a rail upgrade of the Midlands Mainline, provided the locations of stockpiled rail to Oberoi through third parties. Hauliers Clark and Hemmings then transported the stolen rail from various locations, including Kettering, Market Harborough, Derby, Burton-on-Trent, and Braybrooke, to JSJ Metal Recycling.The gang members involved in the conspiracies have received sentences ranging from 12 to 30 months.The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division has initiated proceedings to recover the defendants' ill-gotten gains.
