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31/08/2012
Nine Convicted Over Bedfordshire Immigration Scam
A Luton business man who used one of his restaurants as a cover for an immigration scam has been convicted.
Gyash Uddin, 39, of Ivy Road, sponsored visa applications for family members from Bangladesh to come to the UK where he then employed them at his restaurant Moja, in Mill Road, Leighton Buzzard.
Once in the country, EU nationals were paid to embark on fake marriages or civil partnerships with the Bangladeshis, who hoped the bogus relationships would help them gain long-term residency in the UK and the associated right to work and access benefits that comes with it.
Most of the EU nationals were also employed by Uddin at Moja.
Andy Radcliffe, UK Border Agency said: "Uddin took advantage of his position as a restaurateur to sponsor people to enter the UK, knowing full well that they never planned to go home.
"At every turn, our investigators found his fingerprints all over the case, with the evidence pinpointing him as the main player. He acted as an interpreter at some of the weddings and money went to the EU nationals direct from his account. He also staged a reception for one of the weddings at Moja, the façade of a happy marriage undermined when both the bride and groom went back to work in the kitchens just half an hour into the celebration.
"By bringing Uddin and his accomplices to justice, we have destroyed their criminal business and shown just how seriously we take abuse of the immigration system."
Uddin was convicted of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of the UK's immigration laws and fraud offences after a 3 week trial at Luton crown court.
He was one of 3 people in the dock, who all had denied the charges against them.
Bangladeshi nationals Mohammed Razul Miah, 35, of Mill Road, Leighton Buzzard, and Mohammed Dolon Miah, 35, of Spencer Road, Luton, were also convicted of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of the UK's immigration laws.
Six Luton residents had pleaded guilty to the same charges of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of the UK's immigration laws at earlier hearings.
(GK)
Gyash Uddin, 39, of Ivy Road, sponsored visa applications for family members from Bangladesh to come to the UK where he then employed them at his restaurant Moja, in Mill Road, Leighton Buzzard.
Once in the country, EU nationals were paid to embark on fake marriages or civil partnerships with the Bangladeshis, who hoped the bogus relationships would help them gain long-term residency in the UK and the associated right to work and access benefits that comes with it.
Most of the EU nationals were also employed by Uddin at Moja.
Andy Radcliffe, UK Border Agency said: "Uddin took advantage of his position as a restaurateur to sponsor people to enter the UK, knowing full well that they never planned to go home.
"At every turn, our investigators found his fingerprints all over the case, with the evidence pinpointing him as the main player. He acted as an interpreter at some of the weddings and money went to the EU nationals direct from his account. He also staged a reception for one of the weddings at Moja, the façade of a happy marriage undermined when both the bride and groom went back to work in the kitchens just half an hour into the celebration.
"By bringing Uddin and his accomplices to justice, we have destroyed their criminal business and shown just how seriously we take abuse of the immigration system."
Uddin was convicted of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of the UK's immigration laws and fraud offences after a 3 week trial at Luton crown court.
He was one of 3 people in the dock, who all had denied the charges against them.
Bangladeshi nationals Mohammed Razul Miah, 35, of Mill Road, Leighton Buzzard, and Mohammed Dolon Miah, 35, of Spencer Road, Luton, were also convicted of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of the UK's immigration laws.
Six Luton residents had pleaded guilty to the same charges of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of the UK's immigration laws at earlier hearings.
(GK)
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