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Family Jailed for Staging £136k Post Office 'Robbery' Amidst Horizon Scandal
A sensational case of deception has concluded with five members of the same family being handed significant prison sentences for their roles in a meticulously staged armed robbery at a Hounslow Post Office, designed to cover up the theft of over £130,000. The elaborate plot, which saw a taxi driver pretend to be an armed robber, was exposed by the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad, revealing a web of lies spun for personal gain, Daily Dazzling Dawn understands.
At the heart of the audacious scheme was taxi driver Rajvinder Kahlon, 43, who on April 1 last year, acted as the fictitious armed assailant at the Post Office branch located within a convenience store on Brabazon Road, Hounslow. Kahlon, of Great West Road, Hounslow, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday after being found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, conspiracy to steal from the Post Office, and conspiracy to money launder.
Police initially responded to reports of an armed robbery, where sub-postmistress Sunaver Dhillon, 68, and Ramandeep Dhillon, 40, both of Lyne Road, Virginia Water, falsely claimed they had been threatened by a pistol-wielding man who made off with a reported £50,000 and the branch’s CCTV system. Rajvinder Kahlon was arrested on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at his home address, and initially charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm, even appearing at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Saturday, April 6, 2024, prepared to plead guilty to the bogus charges.
However, the truth, as revealed in court, was far more shocking. It emerged that Kahlon's cousin, Sukhvir Dhillon, 38, husband of Ramandeep and son of Sunaver Dhillon, and the owner of the Post Office branch and attached convenience store, had already removed money from the safe and the CCTV hard drive before the staged robbery. Police analysis of Kahlon’s phone records further solidified the conspiracy, showing constant contact between him and Sukhvir Dhillon.
Her Honour Judge Lindsey Rose did not mince words when addressing the family’s actions. "It meant many resources were deployed to the Post Office when they could have been deployed elsewhere where they may have saved others, all because of your greed and conniving in pretending this was an armed robbery," Judge Rose stated.
Rajvinder Kahlon was initially arrested and even prepared to plead guilty to the bogus armed robbery charge before the "inside job" was uncovered. Judge Rose highlighted Kahlon's role, calling him "the fall guy for this, the robber who failed at his role," and noting his willingness to "enter a guilty plea that would have seen you serve a sentence of years’ imprisonment for a crime you didn’t commit," all while "hoping to be paid handsomely by Sukhvir Dhillon" for his silence. The family's lies, the judge added, were "maintained over the investigation and prosecution of Mr Kahlon."
The Met's Flying Squad detectives swiftly identified Kahlon from CCTV footage, tracing him to a nearby car registered in his name. His DNA was also found on a metal fence he cut himself on while fleeing the scene. Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather from the Met's Flying Squad commented on the complexity of the investigation, stating it "involved piecing together a large amount of CCTV, phone and financial data, and DNA evidence." He also noted that "The group had taken steps to cover their tracks, but we were still able to identify those involved." Elroy Claxton, mitigating for Kahlon, argued his client's involvement stemmed from "an overpowering of his mind by brotherly love," asserting Kahlon's remorse and denial of ever possessing a firearm or transferring money across borders.
A Post Office audit revealed the true missing sum to be approximately £136,000, none of which has been recovered. The court heard that some of the stolen money may have been funneled to India and Canada during the family's travels to those countries.
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Rose condemned the family's meticulously planned crime: "You carefully planned a false robbery at a time when you knew the maximum amount of money would be at the Post Office. You lied and lied again to try to get away with this." She also pointed to the Dhillon family's lavish lifestyle, including "multiple expensive cars, holidays and houses – including a very large house in Virginia Water that enjoyed an expensive renovation," which vastly exceeded their declared income.
Sukhvir Dhillon, of Lyne Road, Virginia Water, was deemed the ringleader and received the longest sentence of five years' imprisonment, having been found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, conspiracy to steal from the Post Office, and conspiracy to money launder. Judge Rose directly addressed him: "You were the person that was the lead of this offence, you planned what would happen, organised it and put everyone in place."
His mother, Sunaver Dhillon, was sentenced to three years and one month's imprisonment, for her role in providing an "air of authenticity" to the crime, ensuring the safe was open and maximizing the stolen amount. Ramandeep Dhillon, Sukhvir's wife, received two years and five months, with the judge noting her "acting abilities" in portraying fear during the fake robbery and even lying about a gun.
Another family member, Mandeep Gill, 45, was sentenced to two years and four months' imprisonment for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and conspiracy to money launder. Her involvement was deemed "lesser than the others," joining the conspiracy only after the false police report.
Prosecutor Richard Reynolds underscored the "particularly cynical plan," particularly in light of the ongoing Post Office Horizon controversy, highlighting that it occurred when "public awareness and concern around the Horizon scandal was at its absolute peak."
A Post Office spokesperson publicly thanked the Metropolitan Police for their "very thorough investigation," emphasizing that the case was solved using "CCTV footage, DNA evidence and other data to identify those involved with this crime."
