A former worker of British Airways is being investigated for allegedly arranging €3.5 million (£3 million) immigration fraud at his Heathrow check-in counter for about five years.
The 24-year-old suspect reportedly charged about €29,000 (£25,000) to let people pass through Terminal 5 and board flights to Canada without proper visa documents, VisaGuide.World reports.
After being arrested on January 6, the former BA check-in supervisor was released on bail, according to the Sun. He then reportedly fled to India with his partner, who was also a former employee of the airline. In India, he has allegedly purchased several houses.
The British newspaper further reports that the respective authorities of the United Kindom and India are collaborating in order to locate him.
How Did He Manage to Sneak People Through Terminal 5 Without a Visa?
A source told the newspaper the suspect took advantage, knowing that immigration checks are usually carried by airline staff.
By inputting the wrong data and claiming eTA documents had been secured, he got people to countries they had no permission to enter in the first place.
Most of the suspect’s clients were Indian nationals who had entered the UK on temporary visas, while others were asylum seekers fearing deportation.
Many jetted to Britain to pay him to get them to Canada. Others had been stuck in the UK immigration system for up to 10 years and feared being sent back to their country of origin.
Upon arrival in Canada, these passengers would shred their documents and claim asylum, according to this source.
The Scam Was Uncovered by Authorities Almost Five Years Later
After years of British Airways flights to Toronto and Vancouver, the Canadian authorities noticed that several passengers arriving at these airports would promptly seek asylum.
As reported, an investigation revealed that all individuals were checked in by the same individual who falsely confirmed that the travellers possessed an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) to enter a specific country.
Passengers can only apply for an eTA in their country of origin, and without the assistance of the BA official, their applications would likely have been rejected.
The source in question further said that the situation’s full extent is still unknown.
Meanwhile, British Airlines sources said the company had ended the supervisors’ and his partners’ contracts.
We’re assisting the authorities with their investigation.
Last year, the Canadian authorities received a record number of over 144,000 applications from asylum seekers, as reported by El Pais. Such a figure represented an increase of 57 per cent compared to the previous year.