Insurance fraud accused face Vic court

Two men have faced a Melbourne court accused of cheating and defrauding car insurance companies of more than $320,000.

Vincent Ferella, 58, and Joseph Abochaya, 27, briefly faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged with numerous deception offences in relation to car repair claims.

The men were arrested on Thursday following police raids on properties in the Sunshine and Maribyrnong areas since February 2015.

During those raids a number of stolen high-end cars were seized, including an Audi, Mercedes and Porsche, as well as more than $50,000 in cash.

Police will allege the pair, along with co-accused Omar Bchinnati, are part of a sophisticated racket that netted $323,549.95 from insurance companies including Suncorp Insurance Group, QBE and RACV between June 2014 and March 2015.

Ferella and Abochaya, who both represented themselves, were not required to speak during the brief hearing before Magistrate Belinda Wallington.

Bchinnati, 29, did not appear in court but was remanded in custody to appear at a committal mention hearing alongside the others, who are on bail, on September 23.