When the pandemic hit in 2020, most people were hunting for hand sanitizer and worried about their families. Jogesh and Meenakashi Bhandari saw something else entirely. They saw an opportunity to make millions off a global crisis, and they didn't hesitate to jump on it.
A five-week trial at Leicester Crown Court ended with the conviction of 59-year-old Jogesh Bhandari, his 58-year-old wife Meenakashi (also known as Meena), and their 43-year-old accomplice Craig Morris. The group ran a massive fraud operation that claimed to supply millions of boxes of nitrile gloves to desperate buyers, including healthcare networks. They took the cash, delivered nothing, and blew the proceeds on a lifestyle fit for royalty.
They aren't the only ones who treated the pandemic like an open vault, but the sheer brazenness of their operation stands out.
Inside the Glove Scam That Funded a £126,000 Porsche
The playbook wasn't overly complex, but it was aggressive. Setting up a trading firm in 2020, Jogesh Bhandari began pitching massive supplies of medical-grade nitrile gloves to international buyers. Demand was through the roof, supply chains were broken, and buyers were desperate to secure protective gear.
To make the operation look legitimate, Bhandari forged bank statements showing balances as high as $125 million alongside fake letters of attestation. He even looped in an offshore network to handle payments, including a US-based accomplice who set up a bogus escrow service.
Instead of sitting safely in escrow until gloves were delivered, the funds were moved instantly.
- November 2020: A buyer placed an order for 12 million boxes of gloves. The money hit the escrow account and vanished straight into accounts controlled by Bhandari and his network.
- December 2020: Another $2.7 million came through. Almost $500,000 was used right away to wipe out personal debts owed by Jogesh and Meena.
- Early 2021: Over $3.18 million was pocketed for glove orders meant for US hospitals. Zero gloves arrived.
- The Big Pitch: The group attempted a massive $1.8 billion contract, taking a $1.35 million deposit into a business account controlled by Meena Bhandari.
Out of that final payout, Jogesh wired £200,000 to Morris and immediately spent £126,000 on a brand-new Porsche.
Bank records uncovered by the National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed that the couple didn't stop at German sports cars. They bought Rolex watches, high-end jewellery, an Audi A5, a Land Rover Discovery, and a VW Golf. They paid for lavish home renovations—including a brand-new kitchen—and booked expensive overseas holidays.
"Let's Clean Up!! Milk It": The WhatsApp Messages That Blew Their Cover
If you ever wonder what people who commit multi-million-pound fraud sound like behind closed doors, the trial provided a direct look. Investigators at the NCA recovered over 47,000 text messages and emails between the defendants.
During the height of the crisis, Craig Morris sent a message to Jogesh Bhandari reading:
"All over the news is all about ppe shortage. Let's clean up!! Milk it fill ya boots."
Bhandari responded with a thumbs-up emoji and added:
"It's about a good teamwork and EVERYONE making money."
In another exchange, Bhandari texted Morris a picture of a luxury Rolls-Royce, adding, "But if I want one of these then we need to keep going."
They weren't trying to help hospitals. They weren't trying to solve a crisis. They saw a global catastrophe as a quick way to get rich, and they bragged about it in plain text.
A Pattern of Pandemic Opportunism
The Bhandari case isn't an isolated event. Across the UK, emergency procurement rules and desperate shortages created an environment where bad actors thrived.
While the Bhandaris operated a direct criminal scam with fake documents, the wider story of pandemic procurement is littered with middle-men and opportunistic operators taking advantage of broken systems.
| Offender / Entity | Scheme Summary | Financial Impact | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jogesh & Meena Bhandari | Fake nitrile glove deals using forged bank statements and fake escrow accounts. | Millions stolen directly from international buyers. | Convicted of fraud and money laundering at Leicester Crown Court. |
| Attiya & Omer Sheikh | An NHS hospital doctor and her husband stole and resold 121 boxes of NHS medical gloves and masks on eBay. | Made roughly £8,000 selling stolen hospital gear. | Sentenced to 10 months in prison each. |
| PPE Medpro (Baroness Mone) | Fast-tracked via government "VIP lane" for government contracts; supplied unusable gowns. | Awarded over £200 million in state contracts. | Subject to ongoing NCA criminal investigations and civil recovery lawsuits. |
When systems break down and normal vetting process is thrown out the window, bad actors move fast. Whether it's an individual stealing boxes from a hospital storage room or a organized setup diverting millions into fake escrow accounts, the end result is the same: resources get siphoned away when people need them most.
What Happens Next
Jogesh Bhandari, Meenakashi Bhandari, and Craig Morris were all convicted on counts of fraud and handling criminal property. The trio remains in custody and is scheduled for sentencing at Leicester Crown Court on August 21.
Following sentencing, legal proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) are expected to begin. POCA gives law enforcement the authority to seize assets—including the Porsche, the Rolexes, and the upgraded real estate—to recover stolen money and pay back affected parties where possible.
If you run a business or procurement team sourcing supplies in high-stress markets, protect yourself by enforcing strict verification steps:
- Verify escrow providers independently. Never accept an escrow agent suggested solely by the seller without running independent checks through financial regulatory registries.
- Audit proof of funds and bank statements. Use third-party verification services to confirm bank attestations rather than relying on PDF documents sent over email or WhatsApp.
- Inspect physical inventory. Require independent pre-shipment inspections from accredited verification agencies (such as SGS or Bureau Veritas) before releasing final payments.
