An Indian couple has been jailed in Britain for involvement in an immigration scam and to assist people in their illegal overstay in the country, according to an official statement.
Vijay Sorthia (35) and his wife Bhawna (31) have been sentenced to 10 years and 15 months in prison respectively by a court in Britain.
In May 2010, Sorthia, an immigration advisor who ran a firm called ‘Migration Gurus’ based in Wealdstone in London, was arrested at his home.
Officers searched the property and found approximately £330,000 in cash, mostly hidden at the back of a cupboard.
Bhawna, who claimed to be employed as a cleaner in the Company, was arrested a month later.
The couple later skipped police bail and fled to India. But they were re-arrested upon returning to Britain in September 2011.
A jury at Isleworth Crown Court found both of them guilty of fraud on May 15, 2012, following which they were sentenced.
Investigations by the UK Border Agency revealed that Sorthia had dozens of clients who had applied to the Home Office for visas claiming to be highly skilled migrants.
The Indian couple, in fact, were using dozens of ‘cover’ companies, with bank accounts registered in their to provide clients with payslips and wage payments to make it appear they were employed and were earning much more than they actually did. These payslips were then used to support immigration applications to the Home Office, the official statement said.
