Former BA employee ‘ran £3m immigration scam from Heathrow check-in desk’
A former British Airways employee has been accused of running a £3 million immigration scam from a Heathrow check-in desk, before absconding to India after being bailed by the police.
The 24-year-old suspect is said to have charged people £25,000 to wave them through Terminal 5 and onto planes heading towards Canada without valid visa documents.
The majority of his alleged customers were Indian citizens, who were allegedly told to fly to the UK on a temporary visitor visa.
After this, they would book flights to Canada without a visa, despite this being a requirement for Indian passport holders, who are not eligible under the country’s electronic travel authorisation scheme.
Other travellers who benefitted were also UK-based asylum claimants who were at risk of being denied the right to remain and faced deportation, the Times reported.
The suspect, who was employed as a BA check-in supervisor, would allegedly direct his customers to his desk and override the system, confirming that he had seen proof of a visa.
It is also claimed he would process passengers at the boarding gate, with those passengers immediately claiming asylum upon arrival in Canada.
Suspicions were raised by officials after a pattern emerged that showed customers on BA flights to Vancouver or Toronto arriving without a visa.
The man was arrested on 6 January and bailed before absconding to India with his partner, who also worked for the airline, the Times reported.
British Airways confirmed it is assisting the authorities with their investigation, and the UK Border Force and Metropolitan Police are liaising with their Indian counterparts.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “It would be inappropriate to comment while an investigation is ongoing.”
The Independent has reached out to Interpol and Delhi Police for comment.
