Five members of the gang were jailed in May 2024 at Wood Green Crown Court for a combined total of 25 years, with ringleader, Galina Nikolova sentenced to eight years, the longest term handed out for fraud against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The fraud was discovered when the individuals were caught using the identities of people from Bulgaria to falsely claim universal credit, with some of the claimants being paid £2,000-£2,500 a month, after a tip off from a policeman in their home town of Sliven in Bulgaria about a construction boom and lots of people walking around in designer clothes.

At the trial, the court heard that over £53.9m was stolen.In the latest development, three of the fraudsters have been given confiscation orders totalling £1,049,077.46 in a bid to recover the stolen benefit money.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told Business & Accountancy Daily that confiscation orders were made against three of the gang members in December.

Galina Nikolova, Patritsia Panev and Stoyan Stoyanov were ordered to repay over £1m or face more time in prison.

Nikolova’s property and financial benefit obtained from her criminal conduct was assessed to be worth £2.8m.

But the judge at Wood Green Court was told Nikolova only had assets valued at £942,183.12, resulting in a confiscation order for that amount. The judge said if the amount was not paid within three months, effectively the beginning of March, Nikolova will be jailed for a further seven years, the default period for a failure to pay. 

Although Paneva’s assets were valued at £225,919, the court was told she only had £99,239.42 so has to pay that back within three months, or face three more years in prison. 

Stoyanov’s assets were valued at £162,950 but he only has £7,654.92 so faces six months’ further imprisonment if he does not pay within three months.

Proceedings against Tsvetka Todorova and Gyunesh Ali are ongoing, the CPS said.

A CPS spokesperson said: ‘Members of this organised crime group exploited the welfare system for profit and it’s right that we deprive them of any criminal gains from this operation.

‘CPS proceeds of crime division has secured orders including all available known assets in the UK and in Bulgaria from three convicted members of this group so far. We have the powers to go back for more in the future if they come into further money or any further assets are identified.’

In May 2024, Galina Nikolova was sentenced to eight years  in prison, Stoyan Stoyanov to four years, Tsvetka Todorova to three years, Gyunesh Ali to seven years, and Patritsia Paneva to three years and two months after a trial at Wood Green Crown Court.

Pictured (l-r): Galina Nikolova, Gyunesh Ali, Patritsia Paneva, Stoyan Stoyanov and Tsvetka Todorova - From the CPS

£54m Bulgarian DWP fraudsters jailed | May 2024

Gang steals £50m in ‘industrial scale’ benefits fraud | April 2024