THE sentencing of the final member of an organised crime gang who stole nearly £360,000 from victims has been welcomed by police.

Members of the 13-strong group targeted bank account holders, tricking them into revealing information over the phone so money could be transferred into accounts under the gang’s control.

The final group member to be sentenced, Robert Coleman, 31, was handed a community payback order when he returned to court on Thursday, police said following the case.

The fraud and money laundering scheme duped several victims out of a total of £359,473, a probe by Police Scotland’s financial investigation unit discovered.

Operating in Drumchapel, Yoker and Clydebank, they targeted victims in locations including Aberdeenshire and Northern Ireland between December 2013 and April 2014, officers said.

The man who fronted the gang, Mark Miller, 28, was jailed for 28 months in February.

Another member of the group, Kevin Gallagher, 27, was jailed for four months at the same hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court, while others have been handed community payback orders.

A total of 15 people were originally charged with involvement in the scheme but two accused had not guilty pleas accepted.

Detective Inspector Steven Trim, of the force’s organised crime and counter-terrorism unit, said this type of crime can have a huge impact on victims.

“The conclusion of this case marks what has been a successful investigation,” he said.

“The group were well organised and set up in a way that involved various roles, including the use of mule account holders.

“We are particularly pleased about securing convictions for senior members of the crime group.”