A dispute between two transport companies over an unpaid invoice has spiralled out of control after one allegedly set up a fake email address in order to obtain a £750,000 load of BMW car parts, which it is now holding as a lien.
Ipswich firm Arrowlink Express says that after placing an advert for a load on freight exchange Teleroute, it was contacted by a firm using an email address purporting to be from a Kent haulier called GHT Logistics.
The load was then picked up by another operator and it was only when delivery windows were missed did the reality of the situation come to light.
In fact, the load of car parts for auto giant BMW had been taken by an operator working for the Folkestone, Kent office of Irish haulier Charles O'Leary with which Arrowlink is in dispute over an unpaid invoice.
Roadtransport.com now understands that Truckpol views the incident as fraud.
Darren Nuttall, who works for Charles O'Leary in Folkestone, denies any knowledge of the 'fake' email address, but admits holding the load. He says that as soon as it receives payment for the invoice, understood to be in the region of £2,500, it will deliver the goods.
He adds: "We don't expect anyone to work for nothing, so why should we?"
Nuttall was previously a director of a related firm, O'Leary Logistics, which traded from an address in Folkestone and went into liquidation last year.
Updated: 14.31 25/11/10
Updated: 15.06 25/11/10
