A former employee of British Airways is under investigation for allegedly orchestrating a £3 million immigration scam from a check-in desk at Heathrow Airport.
The 24-year-old suspect, who has since moved to India, is accused of charging individuals £25,000 to bypass Terminal 5 security and board planes without proper visa documentation. The scheme reportedly aimed to help people circumvent immigration laws to enter Canada, with most beneficiaries being Indian citizens seeking asylum. Some were UK-based asylum seekers at risk of deportation.
The man was arrested on January 6 but fled to India, where he owns multiple properties. His partner, also a former airline employee, accompanied him. UK and Indian authorities are collaborating to locate the pair.
A British Airways spokesperson stated that the airline is cooperating with the investigation. The Home Office has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
The scam allegedly involved directing passengers without valid visas for Canada to the suspect’s check-in desk, where he would falsely confirm visa possession in the system. He also processed passengers at the boarding gate, with many claiming asylum upon arrival in Canada. Canadian officials grew suspicious after noticing a pattern of passengers from BA flights to Toronto or Vancouver arriving without visas to claim asylum.
The first image illustrates a busy airport check-in desk at Heathrow Terminal 5, with a British Airways employee discreetly taking money from a passenger as part of the immigration scam.
The second image shows a map highlighting the flight path from India to the UK and then to Canada, with icons indicating the key elements of the scam, including the illegal route taken by passengers, a passport with a fake visa stamp, and a Canadian asylum claim form.
