A CREDIT card fraudster was battered with a hammer and threatened with an electric stun gun during a kidnap ordeal, a court heard.

Raheel Mirza, aged 23, from London, was captured on January 25, 2007, following a row between two criminal gangs.

The two gangs used high-tech equipment and secret cameras to clone debit and credit cards of unsuspecting customers at the BP Petrol Station in Wigan Road, Atherton, and the BOC Garage in Manchester Road, Bolton, a trial at Liverpool Crown Court has heard.

Prosecutors claim the two gangs stole around £334,000 from the bank accounts of almost 1,000 people in Bolton.

Mirza was kidnapped by members of a Bolton-based group and held to ransom when his London and Leicester-based gang pulled out of the scam because it was not making enough money, the prosecution allege.

Rick Holland, prosecuting, said Mirza was kept in various locations during 10 days of forced imprisonment, including being blindfolded and gagged on numerous occasions.

Once, he was interrogated by the defendant, Saqib Razzaq, Mr Holland said.

"Razzaq was intending to inject some menace into the process. Mirza was told that there were 12 people in the room and that Saqib Razzaq had a hammer," said Mr Holland.

"He was hit a number of times on his knees. He was asked about his associates, their families and where they lived. Threats were made that they would take his mum and sister," he said.

The jury heard the Bolton gang was demanding £130,000 - £80,000 they felt they were owed in respect of the Snax 24 Garage in Atherton and £50,000 for the BOC Garage in Bolton.

The prosecution says Mirza spent around seven days at defendant Andrew Jordan's home. While at the house, Mirza told police that Jordan and defendant Tariq Razzaq had been talking about Uzi repeat machine guns and had showed him some illegal stun guns.

Mr Holland said that Jordan threatened him with one of guns and demonstrated how it worked.

The court heard that when police searched his home in Telford Way, Leicester, five stun guns and six charges were recovered. Jordan's fingerprints were found on the safety cover of one of the stun guns' packaging.

Saqib Razzaq, aged 30, of Pinfold Close, Westhoughton, denies kidnap, false imprisonment and conspiracy to defraud.

Anisa Mallu, aged 28, of Pinfold Close, Westhoughton, and Nasima Esa (aka Mallu), aged 33, of Anson Street, Astley Bridge, both admit conspiracy to defraud but deny kidnap and false imprisonment.

Siddik Abdul Mala, aged 28, of Sheringham Place, Bolton, denies conspiracy to defraud.

Tariq Razzaq, aged 32, of Barngate Close, Leicester, and Andrew Jordan, aged 28, of Telford Way, Thurnby, Leicester, both deny kidnap, false imprisonment, conspiracy to defraud and possession of prohibited firearms.

Imtiaz Patel, aged 29, of East Park Road, Leicester, Kashiff Choudry, aged 26, of Cobble Road, London, and Hanif Ebrahaim, aged 29, of Kensington Gardens, London, all deny conspiracy to defraud.

Faisa Aslam Razzaq, aged 39, of Norwood Drive, Sheffield, denies two counts of perverting the course of justice.

Raheel Mirza, aged 23, from London, admits conspiracy to defraud.

Yaseen Mallu, aged 32, of Anson Street, Astley Bridge, admits two counts of conspiracy to defraud. Kidnap and false imprisonment charges against him have been ordered to lie on file.

Mohammed Ali Hajee, aged 33, of Watersmead Close, Astley Bridge, admits conspiracy to defraud.

The case continues.