Emrah Yildiz has landed behind bars along with 14 others for getting involved in ‘easy money’ operating a £1.1 million ‘crash for cash’ car accident insurance scam.

The luckless 28-year-old from London’s East End was part of a 19-member gang from London, the Midlands and as far as Yorkshire who “arranged” crashes on Britain’s motorways to make bogus claims.

The gang’s downfall came during three trials at Harrow crown court, with the final sentences on December 15 on the last of the 19 scammers including one who’s gone on the run.

Yildiz, who was arrested at his home off the Hackney Road in Shoreditch, first appeared in the dock at Harrow with others in May where he was jailed for 16 months on just one indictment.

The gang’s activity was exposed in 2012 following a collision when ‘decoy’ driver Mohammed Jamil suddenly braked before driving away from the scene. His accomplice driving behind him used this as an excuse to brake and stop, causing three innocent drivers to plough into each other.

Jamil turned out to be the company director for SAS Accident Management firm who was found to be responsible for other induced collisions using ‘decoy’ drivers breaking suddenly in traffic, usually in front on pre-selected innocent motorists. False personal injury claims were then made to insurance companies.

“These were audacious, criminal acts by unscrupulous people lining their pockets at the expense of their victims,” Det Insp David Hindmarsh said. “They didn’t care that their reckless acts endangered lives of innocent people.”

Police seized Jamil’s business records which had collisions and insurance claims totting up to £1.1 million.

The 35-year-old from Luton was said to be the gang leader, who has now been locked away for five years.

The paper trail of fraudulent claims led from him to 18 others including Yildiz, who was arrested at his home at Fellows Court in Weymouth Terrace, Shoreditch.

Another gang member, Ali Malik, 22, who has no fixed address, was jailed for four-and-a-half years in his absence, with a warrant issued for his arrest.

The 16 others sentenced were from Neasden, Willesden, Enfield, St Albans, Luton, Rowley Regis in the West Midlands and Bradford in Yorkshire.

They included Nazema Nawaz, 28, given 20 months, and two jailed for 22 months, Rafal Parczewski, 41, and Daniel Zakrzewski, 31.

Nine were jailed for 16 months apiece—Mikolaj Parczewski, 25, Mirosla Lewandowski, 60, Jadwiga Pawloska, 63, Raheel Akhtar, 37, Mohammad Ashan, 32, Suat Mazi, 40, Mohammed Nisar, 49, Gulraiz Fazal, 36, and Mazhar Iqbal, 44.

Suspended sentences with community service or unpaid work orders were given to Maria Aftewicz, 27, Barbara Aftewicz, 48, Anna Olenczuk, 47, and Shuel Miah, 25.