Woman used ‘wigs and disguises’ to take immigration tests for others

A pistillate has been arrested connected suspicion of utilizing wigs and disguises to fraudulently instrumentality UK citizenship tests connected behalf of others, the Home Office has revealed.

The 42-year-old, who has not been named, is accused of giving applicants an ‘unfair advantage’ successful their Life successful the UK tests, which is simply a request for anyone hoping to summation British citizenship.

The trial consists of 24 questions which purpose to beryllium the applicant has capable cognition of British values, history, and society.

It is believed the pistillate completed astatine slightest 12 tests for applicants crossed the country, travelling to antithetic trial centres, disguising herself and doctoring ID documents to evade detection from authorities.

She was arrested aft Immigration officials conducted a raid connected an code successful Dartford, Kent, connected Friday morning.

As officers conducted a hunt of the property, they recovered a 2nd pistillate hiding nether a bed.

A fig of suspected mendacious documents were besides seized during the search, on with a hoard of luxury goods including decorator handbags, watches and shoes believed to person been purchased with illicit funds raised by the crime.

Both women stay successful custody arsenic the probe continues.

The apprehension comes conscionable implicit a week aft a pistillate was arrested successful near-identical circumstances, aft she was besides accused of donning wigs and disguises to fraudulently instrumentality Life successful the UK tests connected behalf of others.

Josephine Maurice, 61, of Enstone Road, Enfield, has been charged with 15 counts of fraud by mendacious practice and 2 counts of possession of mendacious documents successful transportation to this incident. She has been remanded successful custody.

The Home Office claims fraudsters completing the trial for others could effect successful radical being wrongly granted the close to stay successful the state without due owed diligence, perchance putting the nationalist astatine risk.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle said: ‘This apprehension – the 2nd made successful little than 2 weeks – goes to amusement that those who flout UK migration laws for their ain summation volition beryllium caught and volition look consequences.

‘It comes connected the heels of the instauration of the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill – authorities that takes learning from the effects of counterterrorism laws and applies it to organised migration crime.

As portion of the Government’s Plan for Change, this Bill volition summation enactment crossed instrumentality enforcement agencies and Border Force to turbocharge efforts to smash the gangs, support our borders and prevention lives.’

 Criminal and Financial Investigation pb for London, Chris Foster said: ‘This cognition demonstrates the dedication of our teams successful securing today’s apprehension and sends a wide connection that we volition not tolerate migration fraud successful the UK.

‘We person been actively taking enactment against those progressive successful this benignant of transgression and volition proceed to bash so. Anyone who benefits from specified fraud volition look the consequences.

 ‘This idiosyncratic went to utmost lengths, utilizing wigs and disguises to impersonate others and cheat the migration system, showing a implicit disregard for UK information and migration laws.

 ‘We are afloat committed to tackling migration fraud and organised crime, ensuring our borders stay unafraid and protecting the integrity of our migration system.’

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