Legal News

The UK Border Agency has investigated the case of an Algerian couple resulting in them being sent to jail for making and supplying false passports and identity documents.

The couple Abdelkrimk Khetib, 50, and Hayt Moulay-Khetib, 46, both of Forge Close in Hayes were arrested in September 2012 after a package containing blank counterfeit Portuguese passports and counterfeit holographic designs for use in passports was interrupted by Border Force officers at Coventry international postal hub.
Following a raid at their home by the Border Force officers, further packages of fake Dutch and French passports, laminated passport pages, counterfeit Schengen visas and bogus official stamps were recovered.
Evidence of money transfers made to Thailand, from where the packages had originated from, and evidence of the counterfeit documents being sold to illegal immigrants in the UK to make it look like they had the right to work in the EU were also found in the raid.
At a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on 30 November 2012 the couple admitted charges of possessing false identity documents, which were against to the Identity Documents Act 2010, while Abdelkrim Khetib further admitted a charge of possessing prohibited articles or material against the Act.
On Friday 4 January Abdelkrim Khetib was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison, while his wife was jailed for 8 months.
Andy Shortland, West London criminal and financial investigation team, UK Border Agency said that had the couple not been stopped these documents would have made way to help people work, claim benefits or allow their stay in the UK illegally.
He added that the Border Force and the UKBA’s National Document Fraud Unit came together and brought the case to the court and ultimately saw both the criminals put behind bars.
Stephen Jones, Coventry international postal hub, Border Force said the Border Force officers were on alert to prevent things like counterfeit passports and documents entering the UK, as well as illegal drugs, weapons and counterfeit goods.
It was their intelligence which was a key to have stopped the criminal couple in their tracks.

The UK Border Agency's West London criminal and financial investigation team is a specialist unit of police officers seconded from the Metropolitan Police working alongside its warranted officers to investigate organised immigration crime.