Four jailed for fake passport conspiracy following Watford raid (From Watford Observer)

Four jailed for fake passport conspiracy following Watford raid

9:00am Tuesday 7th February 2012 in News By Mike Wright

Three men from Watford and one from Harrow have been jailed for their part in a conspiracy to create false passports and IDs to help them stay in the country illegally.

Sri Lankan nationals Mohammed Hussain, Aslam Riyas Mohammed Fayas, from Euston Avenue, and Mohammed Ibrahim, from Harrow, were busted after officers based at Heathrow Airport intercepted a parcel addressed to Hussain containing fake passports and resident permits.

Officers from UK Border Agency raided the Euston Avenue address where they discovered fraudulent documents in the names of Riyas, Fayas and Ibrahim.

The Agency said Hussain, Riyas and Ibrahim had all overstayed visas. Fayas had a valid student visa at the time of his arrest, which has subsequently been revoked.

UK Border Agency Inspector Andy Radcliffe said: "Hussain was supplying fake documents to help others stay in the UK illegally and secure work to which they were not entitled.

"They were high quality fakes and prospective employers would have had no idea that what they were looking at was anything other than legitimate.

"These offenders had only one intention, to take employment opportunities away from genuine jobseekers - clearly a serious offence."

Hussain, 29, was sentenced to 13 months in prison on Friday 3 February at a hearing at St Albans Crown Court after admitting to conspiracy to facilitate a breach of the UK’s immigration laws.

Aslam Riyas, 27, and Mohammed Fayas, 21, both pleaded guilty to charges of possessing fraudulent documents and were jailed for 12 months.

Ibrahim, from Grant Road in Harrow, had initially denied a charge of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of the UK’s immigration laws, but was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail.

The UK Border Agency said work to remove the four from the UK at the end of their sentences will be carried out.