Jail for counterfeit cash ring quartet

FOUR men have been jailed after a multi-million pound operation to produce counterfeit cash was smashed, police said.

Hartley, of Cheltenham Road, Bradford, was jailed for five-and-a-half years while Cole, of Golftyn Lane, Northop, Mold, North Wales, was jailed for six years.Inside, officers found more than pounds 650,000 of counterfeit notes, part-printed notes and equipment which could be used in the production of counterfeit cash.Mitchell and Brooke were arrested on the same day the warrants were executed.Detectives launched an investigation after counterfeit notes were found in circulation in Leeds in 2009.Mitchell, of Greenside, Pudsey, was jailed for 12 years, as was Brooke, of Swinnow Gardens, Bramley.Later, police stopped a Range Rover on the M62 motorway near junction 22 at Saddleworth Moor where officers found more than pounds 380,000 worth of counterfeit notes. Hartley was arrested at the roadside.West Yorkshire Police said investigating officers recovered a large quantity of Zeta paper which is used to make counterfeit currency and was capable of producing pounds 4.8m in fake notes.In June 2009 officers found more than pounds 5,000 in cash and electrical equipment in Bramley and Beeston which could be used to create money.Lee Mitchell, 39, Christopher Brooke, 29, John Hartley, 61, and Ian Cole, 56, pleaded guilty to offences under the counterfeiting and forgery act when they appeared at Leeds Crown Court.

Inside, officers found more than pounds 650,000 of counterfeit notes, part-printed notes and equipment which could be used in the production of counterfeit cash.