Supermarket worker accused of £316,00 gold bullion scam

A supermarket worker has denied being involved in a £316,000 gold bullion scam.

Michael Sajid is said to have been sent the haul after an 84-year-old woman was allegedly duped into posting them.

But, the 38-year-old told police he had nothing to do with any gold – and that he was working shifts at Lidl when deliveries were made.

Sajid is on trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

He faces seven charges under the Proceeds of Crime of acting with others in having possession of “criminal property” described as bars of “gold bullion”.

The dad-of-four faces a further accusation of allowing his home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, “to be used for the delivery” of the items.

Sajid has pleaded not guilty at the trial before Sheriff Barry Divers.

Jurors heard evidence agreed between the prosecution and the defence that an 84-year-old woman made three separate purchases of gold bullion – totalling seven bars – between May 28 and July 2, 2020.

The value was said to be a £316,272.

The pensioner sent six packages between those dates via Royal Mail special delivery to a Glasgow City Council flat where Sajid was the tenant since October 2019.

The bullion had a weight of just over six kilogrammes. The name on the packages was “G Langsdon”.

The agreed evidence stated Sajid was working at the Lidl branch in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, at the time.

The court heard how the pensioner – then caring for her ill husband – was initially contacted by a Simon Fraser claiming to be from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

He stated her bank account was being probed for an apparently fraudulent purchase on Amazon.

The OAP believed this individual to be “genuine”.

She was told to then move all her investments into another account.

The woman stated to jurors someone claiming to be from her bank’s fraud team then called.

The person contacted her asking her to buy gold bullion from a named woman in the Isle of Man to apparently help with the fraud case.

The pensioner said: “After it was successful, I was asked to buy another three. When that had gone through I was asked to buy three more.”

Fiscal Katie Malcolm asked the witness if she was to forward the bullion on.

She replied: “Yes, I was. I was told to package it and send it to an address in Glasgow.”

The pensioner posted a number of packages via recorded delivery.

But, she realised matters were “not right” when she was asked to get her sister involved as well.

The OAP contacted her bank and the police. It was discovered the story she had been told was false.

Miss Malcolm asked the witness how she now felt about the incidents.

She replied: “Stupid and humiliated. I cannot believe I had fallen for it.”

It was revealed that all the money paid to different accounts and the cash to purchase the bullion was returned to the woman.

A postman went on to state to jurors that he recalled he delivered to an Asian male at Sajid’s address.

Sajid’s home was searched in August 2021. Nothing was found by police.

The court heard that he was quizzed about the accusations and stated: “I definitely did not do that at all.”

Sajid told police he did “feel” for the woman said to have been conned, but that he “could not live with himself” if he had been involved.

He added he would not have been home for the postman calling as he worked in the morning.

On eventually being charged, Sajid stated: “I have not f***ing received anything, I am not f***ing like this.

“Tell her f***ing family to look after her. I have not robbed an old woman.”

Frank McCauley, defending, put it to an officer who questioned Sajid that it is agreed evidence that he was working on June 5 and 10, 2020 and that he could not have received packages that day.

He said: “You have no idea at all that he received anything. All you have is paper from a recorded delivery slip, this what the whole case based on.”

PC Walker replied: “It is.”

The trial continues.