A man who masterminded a multi-million-dollar international swindle by posing as a Bank of Ireland director was jailed for six years in London yesterday. Mr Anthony Passmore, 52, convinced businessmen around the world to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars and pounds in cash by impersonating Bank of Ireland director Mr Anthony Barry.

Sentencing Passmore, Judge Fabian Evans QC told him: "You are an actor, and clearly a good one." Passmore's accomplice, Mr Keith Bartlett, who impersonated Bank of Ireland director and Unilever chairman Mr Niall Fitzgerald, admitted conspiracy to defraud at an earlier hearing and was jailed for two years.

Judge Evans told the two men: "This was a fraud of very considerable proportions.

"Your victims were carefully chosen as people prepared to pay cash in advance. However, the fraud was to a certain extent fed by the greed of the victims."

In all, police believe Passmore conned 10 people out of a total of more than £2 million. He was caught after an operation by the City of London Fraud Squad. A jury at Middlesex Crown Court in London took 20 hours and 29 minutes to convict Passmore of one count of conspiracy to defraud.

During the trial, the jury was told how the victims included an international businessman and his backers, who alone handed over £750,000 in cash to the conmen posing as Bank of Ireland directors.

One man, Mr James Lee, gave the cash to Passmore over a 12month period to finance an elaborately hoaxed multi-million dollar deal.

Mr Lee was met by Passmore, of Andover, Hampshire, posing as Mr Barry, in Hong Kong, London and New York as the fraudsters kept up their deception on a global scale.

Prosecuting counsel Mr Peter Stage QC said: "Mr Lee lost all face and credibility with his backers. They eventually contacted real Bank of Ireland officials in Dublin and their worst fears were confirmed. It was an object lesson in how to squeeze a pigeon dry.