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Four sentenced for their part in the UK’s largest ever visa fraud

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Author-Maryam Arnott

Four people have been sentenced at Southwark Crown Court today for their part in the UK’s largest immigration fraud and attempting to cheat HMRC of payroll tax.

The case centred on ‘immigration advisors’ who created a network of sham companies to cheat the Home Office.

As well as charging substantial fees for putting together bogus information for their immigration applications, the defendants in this case also tried to carry out a payroll fraud on HMRC.

Had the scheme been successful, the total loss to the public purse would have been in the millions of pounds.

Hundreds of people successfully applied for a visa they weren’t eligible for through the advisors’ scam, which gave them indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Maryam Arnott of the CPS, said: “This is believed to be the largest ever visa fraud that the CPS has dealt with and it is staggering the lengths these individuals went to in order to exploit the UK’s immigration system.‎

“The hard work and expertise of our Specialist Fraud Division and HMRC resulted in them having to face the consequences of their crimes.”

Building the case
The fraud against the Home Office was proved by detailed analysis of the applicant’s finances which showed a complex pattern of transactions.

This showed that the applicants’ ‘wages’ had actually originated from payments they had made themselves to the defendants’ sham companies.

Following a series of raids on the defendants’ businesses and homes a vast amount of evidence was found that could be presented to the Court to show how the scheme operated.

Close analysis of the many sham companies showed they had never traded, never had any genuine employees and had never paid the payroll tax that was being reclaimed.

At two earlier trials, nine defendants were convicted of conspiracy to defraud and cheating the public revenue at Southwark Crown Court and have been sentenced to a collective 31 years in prison.

Notes to editors

  • Maryam Arnott is the Unit Head of London’s Specialist Fraud DivisionOn 8 August the below defendants were convicted at Southwark Crown Court and have today been sentenced:
  • Mohammed Jillur Rahman Khan (DOB: 31/08/1975) was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and has today been given a two year suspended sentence.
  • Shaheda Roxsana (DOB: 16/10/1971) was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and cheating the public revenue and has today been given a 19 month suspended sentence.
  • Mazharul Haque (DOB: 01/07/1972) was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and cheating the public revenue and has today been given a 16 month suspended sentence.
  • Maksuda Begum who had pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to Obtaining Leave to Remain in the UK by deception and cheating the public revenue has been given a 10 month suspended sentence.

At a trial in 2018 the following Defendants were convicted and sentenced:

  • AKM Rezaul Karim (DOB: 22/02/1976) was found guilty of 2 offences of conspiring to defraud the Home Secretary between 2008 and 2017 and cheating the public revenue  and sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison
  • Enamul Karim (DOB: 01/07/1984) ) was found guilty of 2 offences of conspiring to defraud the Home Secretary between 2008 and 2017 and cheating the public revenue  and sentenced to 9 years 4 months in prison
  • Kazi Borkot Ullah (DOB: 10/02/1979) was found guilty of 2 offences of conspiring to defraud the Home Secretary between 2008 and 2017 and cheating the public revenue  and sentenced to 5 years 10 months in prison
  • Jalpa Trivedi (DOB: 24/12/1976) was found guilty of 1 offences of conspiring to defraud the Home Secretary between 2008 and 2012 and cheating the public revenue  and sentenced to 3 years in prison
  • Tamij Uddin (DOB: 12/08/1971) was found guilty of 1 offences of conspiring to defraud the Home Secretary between 2008 and 2012 and cheating the public revenue  and sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison

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