The Home Office has revealed that 500 people have been taken into custody for using fake documents in their visa applications to a secure UK visa.
UK Border Agency staff intercepted the visitors before boarding planes for the UK at the point of producing the false paperwork to obtain visas. The numbers of arrests represent only a small proportion of the total number stopped by UK customs officials. On average since 2003, over 50,000 people a year have been stopped from entering the UK before boarding their planes.
Vernon Coaker, the Police Minister, said that as many as one in five visa applications to enter the United Kingdom were refused this year. He said, "Stopping these fraudulent attempts to enter Britain is a crucial part of our fight to protect our borders from those intent on abusing the system.” Fingerprinting applicants is one of the new measures being introduced that will help the Border Agency keep unscrupulous applicants out of the country in the future, as all fingerprints remain on the Agency’s database. Typical examples of faked documents used to support UK visa applications include falsified tax returns and forged wedding certificates.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Couple caught using fake passports
Bangalore : A couple from Gujarat trying to travel to Canada on fake passports were detained on Thursday morning at Bengaluru International Airport.
Ashish Patel (30) and his wife Sonal Patel (29) arrived in Bangalore on Thursday morning and wanted to board Jet Airways flight 9W 132 for Toronto. During immigration clearance, they were caught by officials. The passports were issued in the name of Riyaz Sultan Ali Gilani and his wife Mosina Riyaz Gilani. They were handed over to BIA police station and remanded to judicial custody. Malaysian deported The foreign section officials in the city police commissionerate detected a Malaysian national, who illegally overstayed in the city after her visa expired. Luy Yan Ting was produced before the magistrate, given one day simple imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000. She was deported to Malaysia.
Ashish Patel (30) and his wife Sonal Patel (29) arrived in Bangalore on Thursday morning and wanted to board Jet Airways flight 9W 132 for Toronto. During immigration clearance, they were caught by officials. The passports were issued in the name of Riyaz Sultan Ali Gilani and his wife Mosina Riyaz Gilani. They were handed over to BIA police station and remanded to judicial custody. Malaysian deported The foreign section officials in the city police commissionerate detected a Malaysian national, who illegally overstayed in the city after her visa expired. Luy Yan Ting was produced before the magistrate, given one day simple imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000. She was deported to Malaysia.
Man faces deportation for fake passport
A MAN who was caught in possession of a forged Bangladeshi passport is facing deportation, Perth Sheriff Court was told. Maunas Baura (32), described as a prisoner at Perth, was remanded in custody until January 14 to await the preparation of background reports.
He admitted that between March 1 and October 3, at a house in High Street, Blairgowrie, and elsewhere in Scotland and the UK, he was in possession of the passport which he knew or believed to be false.
He also pled guilty to a second charge of pretending to employees at the DVLA in Swansea that he was entitled to apply for a UK driving licence. He used the forged passport to support his application and fraudulently obtained a provisional licence.
Fraud using the name of Japanese Embassy and JICA Nepal Office
Recently the Embassy obtained information that a certain person has been raising a huge amount of money from individuals, organizations, companies, etc. saying that as he/she has close relations with the Embassy and/or the JICA Nepal Office, he/she can provide them with visas for Japan or he/she can give them some particular benefits from the Government of Japan. However, the Embassy and JICA are absolutely not involved in the matter. In case you come in contact with such person or hear of such a case, please call the Embassy and/or JICA immediately to check the facts of the matter.
For further information, please contact:
Embassy of Japan Tel: (01) 442-6680 (Ext. 111)Fax: (01) 442-5681E-mail: culjpn@mos.com.np
JICA Nepal Office Tel: (01) 501-0310 (Ext. 326)Fax: (01) 501-0284E-mail: np_oso_rep@jica.go.jp
Friday, December 12, 2008
India-bound travellers hit by fake visa scam
By WANI MUTHIAH and M. KRISHNAMOORTHY
KUALA LUMPUR: Two to three Malaysians are either barred from leaving for India or deported daily due to fake visas issued to them.
The Indian High Commission has uncovered a scam following the loss of 2,000 visa stickers from its visa centre at the Jalan Duta Chancery.
So far, 50 Malaysians have been redirected back here since October after landing at Indian airports.
It is learnt that the High Commission informed airline companies of the loss and revocation of the said visa stickers. Newspaper advertisements were also placed, stating that Malaysians and other foreign nationals could not use the lost visas (serial numbers published) to travel to India.
New Delhi sent investigators here last month to question several High Commission officials and travel agents.
The High Commission had outsourced the processing of visas in Malaysia to Grandlotus Travel Agencies in August last year, but the High Commission remains in charge of issuing the stickers.
High Commission First Secretary V.K.V. Raman said: “We advise travellers who obtained their visas from unauthorised parties to check with our visa centre or High Commission.”
Malaysian Indian Tour and Travel Agents (Mita) president K. Thangavelu believed that the missing visas had been sold off illegally.
He said Grandlotus would bear full responsibility if there were travel agencies who could provide proof linking the firm to the missing visas.
He said it was unfortunate that travellers and travel agencies had become victims due to the actions of a dishonest few.
Travel agent K.P Samy confirmed that several of his clients headed for India had been barred from leaving at the KL International Airport with others deported back from India due to visa problems.
KUALA LUMPUR: Two to three Malaysians are either barred from leaving for India or deported daily due to fake visas issued to them.
The Indian High Commission has uncovered a scam following the loss of 2,000 visa stickers from its visa centre at the Jalan Duta Chancery.
So far, 50 Malaysians have been redirected back here since October after landing at Indian airports.
It is learnt that the High Commission informed airline companies of the loss and revocation of the said visa stickers. Newspaper advertisements were also placed, stating that Malaysians and other foreign nationals could not use the lost visas (serial numbers published) to travel to India.
New Delhi sent investigators here last month to question several High Commission officials and travel agents.
The High Commission had outsourced the processing of visas in Malaysia to Grandlotus Travel Agencies in August last year, but the High Commission remains in charge of issuing the stickers.
High Commission First Secretary V.K.V. Raman said: “We advise travellers who obtained their visas from unauthorised parties to check with our visa centre or High Commission.”
Malaysian Indian Tour and Travel Agents (Mita) president K. Thangavelu believed that the missing visas had been sold off illegally.
He said Grandlotus would bear full responsibility if there were travel agencies who could provide proof linking the firm to the missing visas.
He said it was unfortunate that travellers and travel agencies had become victims due to the actions of a dishonest few.
Travel agent K.P Samy confirmed that several of his clients headed for India had been barred from leaving at the KL International Airport with others deported back from India due to visa problems.
Belgian nationals on terrorist charges?
By Helen Warrell
Belgian prosecutors charged six people on Friday with membership of a terrorist group, following a police raids on the eve of a European Union summit in Brussels.
Lieve Pellens, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor, told the FT that all six were Belgian nationals and three of them, men aged between 20 and 30, had received training in Pakistan and Afghanistan. One of the trainees is suspected to have been preparing himself for a suicide attack on an unknown target.
The only woman to be charged was named as Malika El Aroud, a Belgian of Moroccan origin whose husband died in a suicide attack against anti-Taliban resistance leader, Ahmed Shah Massoud, in Afghanistan in 2001.
Belgian authorities carried out raids on sixteen houses in Brussels and one in the eastern city of Liege, on the basis of intelligence that the key suspect had received the ”green light” for an attack, the federal prosecutor confirmed.
”We felt confident that the planning was in the final stages – we believe that an attack was imminent,” Ms Pellens said, while emphasising that there was ”no indication” that the two-day EU summit had been the intended target. ”But since Brussels was hosting such an important event, we could not take any risks.”
According to the Bloomberg news agency, Yves Leterme, Belgian prime minister, told reporters at the summit earlier on Friday that organisers had considered calling off the event, but that it had proved unnecessary.
Seven of the 14 original detainees were brought in for questioning as witnesses, while the remaining seven were brought in front of an investigating judge on Thursday, Ms Pellens said.
The six who were charged are due to appear in a pre-trial court next week. The judge could release the suspects on bail after the hearing, but Belgian officials said they were confident there was enough evidence to keep the group in detention.
Belgian prosecutors charged six people on Friday with membership of a terrorist group, following a police raids on the eve of a European Union summit in Brussels.
Lieve Pellens, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor, told the FT that all six were Belgian nationals and three of them, men aged between 20 and 30, had received training in Pakistan and Afghanistan. One of the trainees is suspected to have been preparing himself for a suicide attack on an unknown target.
The only woman to be charged was named as Malika El Aroud, a Belgian of Moroccan origin whose husband died in a suicide attack against anti-Taliban resistance leader, Ahmed Shah Massoud, in Afghanistan in 2001.
Belgian authorities carried out raids on sixteen houses in Brussels and one in the eastern city of Liege, on the basis of intelligence that the key suspect had received the ”green light” for an attack, the federal prosecutor confirmed.
”We felt confident that the planning was in the final stages – we believe that an attack was imminent,” Ms Pellens said, while emphasising that there was ”no indication” that the two-day EU summit had been the intended target. ”But since Brussels was hosting such an important event, we could not take any risks.”
According to the Bloomberg news agency, Yves Leterme, Belgian prime minister, told reporters at the summit earlier on Friday that organisers had considered calling off the event, but that it had proved unnecessary.
Seven of the 14 original detainees were brought in for questioning as witnesses, while the remaining seven were brought in front of an investigating judge on Thursday, Ms Pellens said.
The six who were charged are due to appear in a pre-trial court next week. The judge could release the suspects on bail after the hearing, but Belgian officials said they were confident there was enough evidence to keep the group in detention.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
U.S. - 9 suspected illegal immigrants plead guilty
By HOLBROOK MOHR -
JACKSON, Miss. -- Nine people rounded up in the nation's largest workplace raid on suspected illegal immigrants pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal identity fraud charges and were sentenced to time served.
Nearly 600 workers at Howard Industries' transformer plant in Laurel were detained Aug. 25 when dozens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided the factory.
The nine people charged with identity fraud were accused of working at the plant under the names and Social Security numbers of other people - information that had been reported stolen in some cases, according to court records.
The nine pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg during separate hearings Wednesday. They were sentenced to time served and face deportation, said Sheila Wilbanks, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office. They agreed to cooperate with authorities.
"They will be turned over to ICE and ICE will handle the administrative procedures of deportation," Wilbanks said.
A federal public defender, John Weber, who represented the workers, did not immediately respond to a message left Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Weber said in the past that the workers faced up to 17 years in prison had they been convicted and sentenced to the maximum on all three of the original charges - aggravated identity theft, use or possession of a fraudulent alien registration card and use of a Social Security number belonging to someone else. The trial was scheduled to begin Dec. 15.
It's not clear how they allegedly obtained the fraudulent identities. However, several people in Laurel who acknowledged being illegal immigrants told The AP after the raid that it was easy to buy fraudulent documents in the area through word of mouth.
Barbara Gonzalez, an ICE spokeswoman, said the investigation continues and "we will go where the evidence leads us."
"Fraudulent documents may be used to obtain financial benefits and entitlements intended for U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and to obtain unauthorized employment," she said. "Those who are engaged in document fraud should know that we will continue pursuing these types of investigations."
An advocacy group for illegal immigrants condemned the charges.
"The connotations of the charges against them is that somehow they were involved in stealing the identities for nefarious purposes," said Bill Chandler, executive director of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance. "These folks were getting identification so they could support their families. In my view, supporting your family is not a crime."
Most of the others detained in the raid were sent to a Louisiana detention facility to await hearings and deportation. More than 100 - mostly women with children - were fitted with monitoring devices and ordered to appear in court.
Gonzalez said 413 of the illegal immigrants have been deported and 23 left the country voluntarily.
The operation was the largest single workplace raid in ICE history and targeted one of Mississippi's most successful private business. Howard Industries is the largest employer in Jones County and makes products ranging from computers to medical supplies. The company's corporate headquarters also was raided, but no executives have been charged with crimes.
Howard Industries has repeatedly declined comment. However, the company issued a statement in the past that says it "runs every check allowed to ascertain the immigration status of all applicants for its jobs. It is company policy that it hires only U.S. citizens and legal immigrants."
JACKSON, Miss. -- Nine people rounded up in the nation's largest workplace raid on suspected illegal immigrants pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal identity fraud charges and were sentenced to time served.
Nearly 600 workers at Howard Industries' transformer plant in Laurel were detained Aug. 25 when dozens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided the factory.
The nine people charged with identity fraud were accused of working at the plant under the names and Social Security numbers of other people - information that had been reported stolen in some cases, according to court records.
The nine pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg during separate hearings Wednesday. They were sentenced to time served and face deportation, said Sheila Wilbanks, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office. They agreed to cooperate with authorities.
"They will be turned over to ICE and ICE will handle the administrative procedures of deportation," Wilbanks said.
A federal public defender, John Weber, who represented the workers, did not immediately respond to a message left Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Weber said in the past that the workers faced up to 17 years in prison had they been convicted and sentenced to the maximum on all three of the original charges - aggravated identity theft, use or possession of a fraudulent alien registration card and use of a Social Security number belonging to someone else. The trial was scheduled to begin Dec. 15.
It's not clear how they allegedly obtained the fraudulent identities. However, several people in Laurel who acknowledged being illegal immigrants told The AP after the raid that it was easy to buy fraudulent documents in the area through word of mouth.
Barbara Gonzalez, an ICE spokeswoman, said the investigation continues and "we will go where the evidence leads us."
"Fraudulent documents may be used to obtain financial benefits and entitlements intended for U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and to obtain unauthorized employment," she said. "Those who are engaged in document fraud should know that we will continue pursuing these types of investigations."
An advocacy group for illegal immigrants condemned the charges.
"The connotations of the charges against them is that somehow they were involved in stealing the identities for nefarious purposes," said Bill Chandler, executive director of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance. "These folks were getting identification so they could support their families. In my view, supporting your family is not a crime."
Most of the others detained in the raid were sent to a Louisiana detention facility to await hearings and deportation. More than 100 - mostly women with children - were fitted with monitoring devices and ordered to appear in court.
Gonzalez said 413 of the illegal immigrants have been deported and 23 left the country voluntarily.
The operation was the largest single workplace raid in ICE history and targeted one of Mississippi's most successful private business. Howard Industries is the largest employer in Jones County and makes products ranging from computers to medical supplies. The company's corporate headquarters also was raided, but no executives have been charged with crimes.
Howard Industries has repeatedly declined comment. However, the company issued a statement in the past that says it "runs every check allowed to ascertain the immigration status of all applicants for its jobs. It is company policy that it hires only U.S. citizens and legal immigrants."
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