The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
BROTHERS ‘GOT RICH’ IN PEOPLE SMUGGLE RACKET
Pair who pocketed tens of thousands of pounds with student scam are jailed
Two Peterborough brothers who set up a people smuggling ring in the city to help foreign nationals whose visa expired have been jailed. Abdul Rashid and Abdul Majid set up the ‘bespoke travel’ service for Pakistani nationals who had overstayed their student visa.
Rashid (54) of Park Road, Peterborough and Majid (51) of Dogsthorpe Road, Peterborough, would charge the students thousands of pounds each to book them on to commercial coach trips, following in their own vehicles with their customers’ luggage, Canterbury Crown Court was told.
Some of those who travelled were Pakistani students in the UK on expired visas - or visas due to expire - and who faced deportation back to their home country, a police spokesman said.
But the scam unravelled following routine stop-checks on suspect vehicles leaving the Port of Dover.
Between October 2011 and February 2012, Kent Police built up a portfolio of evidence suggesting an illegal people smuggling operation was un- der way.
Officers from the Kent Police Special Branch, in coordination with Cambridgeshire Constabulary, searched addresses in Peterborough in May 2012 and Rashid and Majid were arrested.
The men each pleaded guilty to breaching UK immigration law and a further charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act at a court hearing in June this year.
Rashid was jailed for three years and Majid was locked up for one year at Canterbury Crown Court on August 15.
Detective Constable Nicky Holland-Day, from Kent Police, welcomed the sentences handed to the brothers.
He said: “The defendants provided a ‘bespoke travel service’ for Pakistani nationals who had overstayed their student visa.
“It is an offence to facilitate the entry of a non-EU national into the territory of another EU state unless a visa has been granted permitting entry into that country.
“Furthermore, Rashid and Majid were getting rich at their victims’ expense.
“They were holding down day jobs while depositing tens of thousands of pounds in cash into their bank accounts over several years.
“At the same time, Majid was telling HMRC (revenue and customs) he was a lowpaid taxi driver and was claiming working tax credits from the UK taxpayer.”
DC Holland-Day said work would be done to ensure the men would not profit from their crimes upon their release from prison.
He said: “Rashid and Majid were able to grow wealthy by flagrantly breaching UK immigration laws. Their motivation was obviously financial reward.
DC Holland added: “But following the conclusion of this case, we will be pursuing their assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.”