31 August 2024 , 15:33
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A U.K. court sentenced four Nigerians to a total of 13 years in prison for their roles in an organized crime ring that forged more than 2,000 marriage certificates and other documents to help Nigerian immigrants in the United Kingdom secure residency permits.
The U.K. Home Office said that the four were sentenced on Thursday after a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court.
Between March 2019 and May 2023, they produced fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications to Nigerian nationals, using false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documentation to help their clients remain in the country.
The investigation, which involved both domestic Home Office staff as well staff based in Lagos, Nigeria, revealed the sheer scale of the fraudulent activity, with over 2,000 false marriage documents uncovered.
The gang’s activities highlighted vulnerabilities within the U.K.’s immigration controls that can be exploited by well-organized and determined criminal groups.
The EU Settlement Scheme, introduced to help EU and other citizens join their family members in the U.K., became the primary vehicle for the gang’s fraudulent activities.
“As with many gangs we encounter, their sole priority was financial gain,” said Paul Moran, Home Office Chief Immigration Officer. “We will continue to work tirelessly to clamp down on the gangs who prey on vulnerable people to make money.”