Avni Brahmbhatt, of Oakington Manor Drive, and Zahid Imran, of Harrow Road, are jointly accused alongside 12 other people

Two Wembley men will stand trial next year accused of masterminding a £600,000 chip and PIN scam.

Avni Brahmbhatt, 33, of Oakington Manor Drive, and Zahid Imran, 50, of Harrow Road, are jointly accused alongside 12 other people of using the machines to process card payments for bogus businesses, including Platinum Enterprises, Zara Enterprises and Colliers Food and Wine.

Yesterday, Southwark Crown Court heard claims that orders were placed by the accused conmen and women posing as customers, who would then apply for a refund from card companies after the goods were not delivered.

Brahmbatt, Imran, Yashraj Champaneri, 39, from Staines, Danial Shaw, 48, Ashok Amin, 61, from Wandsworth, Mehul Shah, 33, and Amita Parmar, 46, from Hounslow, all deny conspiracy to defraud.

Co-defendants Rajan Kaushik, 55, from Hendon, Mohammed Istiaq, 45, from Hayes, Chetan Bhatia, 32, from Stratford, and Nasir Butt, 48, from Lancashire, each deny a single count of fraud.

Jabeen Iqbal, 44, Abdul Rehman, and Fida Hussain, 44, from Lancashire, each deny two counts of fraud.

They will be tried separately following the first trial for conspiracy to defraud in May.

Due to their sheer number, the defendants were permitted to sit in the public gallery and were not required to enter the dock when they confirmed their identities or entered pleas.

Prosecutor Andrew Mazibrada told the court: “It’s a very simple fraud, complicated only by the number of defendants.”

All 12 will attend the court for a directions hearing on September 12.

Co-defendant Raja Iqbal, 35, from Manchester; pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and will be sentenced at the conclusion of the trial on May 6.

Enrico Di Pomporato, 46, from, Chiswick, and Grace Netto, 45, from Knightsbridge, each admitted a single count of fraud and will be sentenced at a later date.