Arrested in February 2023, the Indian-origin couple has now been found guilty of running a multi-million-dollar fraud during the Covid-19 pandemic
Jogesh Bhandari, 59, and Meenakashi (Meena) Bhandari, 58, carried out a personal protective equipment (PPE) scam, posing as major suppliers of PPE and persuading businesses to pay them millions of dollars for gloves that were never delivered
Both are convicted alongside associate Craig Morris, 43, after the UK’s National Crime Agency’s (NCA) probe into the matter. Morris was convicted for acting on behalf of the couple’s company in several fraudulent transactions in 2020 and 2021
The trio are due to be sentenced on August 21
We take a look
Timeline of Bhandari’s fraudulent activities
It all started when Bhandari set up a company in 2020 to buy and sell nitrile gloves during the pandemic. Morris helped him with numerous fraudulent deals in 2020 and 2021
Bhandari also worked with Frank Labruzzo, an attorney in the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, BBC reported. Labruzzo offered a fraudulent escrow service —a bank account that holds funds until both sides of an agreement have been reached
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Bhandari’s first fraudulent activity started in November 2020 when he secured a deal to provide 12 million boxes of gloves. The company deposited the funds into an escrow account; however, instead of remaining there until the deal was completed, the money was immediately moved or paid to Labruzzo, Bhandari, and several other companies, NCA’s probe revealed
A group who fraudulently claimed to be able to provide PPE during the pandemic but instead spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on house renovations and luxury cars have been convicted after a NCA investigation.Read the full story ➡️ https://t.co/nGSMEW25CWpic.twitter.com/QWGGrpG5kb
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) July 15, 2026
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Bhandari used a series of forged documents, including bank statements reportedly showing balances of up to $125 million (around Rs 1,206.78 crore) and letters of attestation, to persuade potential suppliers to do trade with him
NCA discovered another striking detail: in early 2021, Bhandari was paid over $3.18 million (around Rs 30.64 crore) for a nitrile gloves order to be delivered to US hospitals, but it was never delivered
In late 2021, his final fraud occurred. Bhandari convinced a supplier that he was a major player in the PPE industry with access to hundreds of millions of dollars
NCA investigation noted, “The company agreed to a deal worth 1.8 billion dollars, and Labruzzo provided a fraudulent letter stating Bhandari had deposited 35 million dollars as a security against the first delivery. The company then paid 1.35 million dollars for the first two planned shipments,” as quoted by NDTV
In the final deal, Bhandari secured 1.35 million dollars, which was credited directly into a business account controlled by his wife. From that money, the couple bought a new Porsche and several other items to improve their home
Labruzzo, along with other accused, has already been convicted in the US in relation to this scam
“Let’s clean up”: Stunning WhatsApp chat
The NCA investigation also revealed the chats exchanged between Bhandari and Morris
Morris wrote: “All over the news is all about PPE shortage. Let’s clean up!! Milk it… fill ya boots,” the BBC reported
Bhandari responded to it: “(Thumbs up) it’s about good teamwork and EVERYONE making money.”
Another text showed that Bhandari sent an image of a Rolls-Royce to Morris, stating: “But if I want one of these then we need to keep going.”
Paul Boniface, operations manager at the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), said: “The Covid-19 pandemic was a time of uncertainty for the world, and the increased need for PPE equipment was sudden. This gave fraudsters like the Bhandaris and Morris an opportunity to target businesses and line their own pockets. All of this activity occurred at the height of the pandemic, when the demand for PPE went through the roof.”
Porsche, Rolexes & all luxury
All the million dollars were meant to be used for PPE supplies; however, they were used to finance an extravagant lifestyle
According to NCA, the couple splurged thousands of pounds on Rolex watches, jewellery, luxury travel, and high-end vehicles, including a €126,000 (around Rs 1,38,57,228) Porsche, an Audi A5, a Land Rover Discovery, and a Volkswagen Golf
The investigators also noted that they used the money to fund extensive home improvements, including a kitchen refurbishment. The investigators also noted that they used the money to fund extensive home improvements, including a kitchen refurbishment
“Bhandari and his co-conspirators capitalised on these vulnerabilities by exploiting people and businesses for their own financial gain, paying for lavish lifestyles of luxury cars and significant home improvements,” said Boniface as quoted by the BBC
“Fraud like this diverts essential equipment away from genuine organisations and the effects are far-reaching, beyond immediate losses for the legitimate businesses involved.”
With inputs from agencies
