Fraudsters Jailed for 31 Years, for 900 fake visa applications, claiming £13M in tax repayments

Five fraudsters who ran an “industrial scale” bogus visa application ring and then tried to claim millions in tax have been sentenced to a total of 31 years in jail at Southwark Crown Court.

They facilitated 900 fake visa applications and tried to falsely claim £13m in tax repayments.



Eighteen people were granted visas based on false figures. Of those, three were allowed to become naturalised British citizens, and two given indefinite leave to remain.



During the immigration scam, the five defendants charged some clients on temporary visas wanting to remain in the UK a minimum of £700 in cash for their fraudulent immigration services.



Using the fake companies, they attempted to fraudulently reclaim £13 million in tax repayments from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a six-year period.



The fraud was uncovered in 2011 when the Home Office. The gang claimed their clients were employees as part of their tax and immigration fraud - creating fake payslips and providing false information on hundreds of applications to ensure eligibility for a Tier 1 visa.



The gang set up 32 false companies and created fake documentation, used by Bangladeshi nationals in an estimated 900 fraudulent visa applications.



All five defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud by making false Tier 1 applications between December 31, 2008 and February 27, 2013.



Ringleader Abul Kalam Muhammad Rezaul Karim, 42, of Albert Basin Way, Beckton, and known as AKM who is now on the run, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in his absence today (Friday) after being found guilty following a 35-week trial.



His brother-in-law Enamul Karim, 34, and Kazi Borkot Ullah, 39, both of Halbutt Street, Dagenham, Jalpa Trivedi, 41, of St Albans and Mohammed Tamij Uddin, 47, of Witan Street, Bethnal Green, were also convicted.