Afghan Sikhs used turban trick to sneak into Britain
HUNDREDS of Afghans sneaked into Britain using the passports of Sikhs because officials were bamboozled by their turbans.
UK border officials were unable to distinguish between genuine passport holders and illegal immigrants because of the traditional headwear.
The loophole was laid bare during an investigation into a people smuggling racket. Officials discovered that the crime ring specialised in providing Sikh Afghans with passports of family members who resembled them.
They would pay up to £12,000 a family to borrow the documents and enter Britain posing as legitimate citizens. Yesterday Daljit Kapoor, 41, Harmit Kapoor, 40, and Davinder Chawla, 42, admitted masterminding the scam.
Around 30 members of the same Afghan Sikh community are believed to have successfully claimed asylum as a result.
There may be hundreds more because the scam operated for a number of years undetected.
A gang member would drive to Paris with genuine passports of family members and hand them over to men, women and children so they could get through airport security.
The gang would then use the same passports with further groups and families. They are also understood to have operated from Thailand.
Eventually EasyJet staff smelt a rat and alerted French authorities. Chawla was stopped trying to bring 11 Afghan Sikhs into Britain.
Edward Aydin, prosecuting, said: ‘These three men are the facilitators in this organisation, this organised crime, where they are using genuine British passport holders within the Sikh community.
‘It’s a Sikh conspiracy and it’s occurring because it’s very difficult for the authorities at border control to distinguish who’s who on the passports.’ The Kapoors, who are cousins from Hounslow, and Chawla, of Isleworth, pleaded guilty on the first day of their trial at Inner London Crown Court.
Sitting with interpreters, they admitted two counts of conspiracy to help asylum seekers to enter illegally between May and June 2014.
Harmit Kapoor also admitted booking flights between June 8 and June 21 2014 for the asylum seekers to get to Britain.
Chawla, a taxi driver, admitted hiring a vehicle to facilitate their entry into the UK when he drove to Paris that June.
Outside court, an investigator said: ‘They would get the passports of their relatives and marry them up with the asylum seekers who most looked like them, obviously the beards and turbans made it easier.
‘But it was also the women and children as well, whole families were being brought in. And once they are here, because they from Afghanistan and are claiming to be persecuted by the Taliban, they can’t be sent back.
‘They have been doing this for a long time, probably years, and have made a hell of a lot of money doing it, charging around £12,000 a family.’
The three men will be sentenced later this month.
‘They can’t be sent back’