London:
An illegal immigrant from India has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for stealing another man's identity and pretending to be him for 12 years.
Sukhjiwan Singh Burham, 37, was arrested by UK Border Agency officers during a raid on a catering firm in Southall on April 2.
He claimed to be a British national named Avtar Singh, and a later search of his property by immigration officers uncovered a marriage certificate and driving licence in that name.
However, they also found letters and other documentation in his true name.
UK Border Agency checks revealed that the real Avtar Singh is a British citizen living in Canada, who was interviewed by officials at the British High Commission to establish his identity.
Burham later admitted that he had entered the country illegally in 1996, and had paid 3,000 pounds for an illegally obtained United Kingdom passport.
He had then used that passport to enable his wife, whom he married in India in 2003, and three children to enter the country.
After pleading guilty to fraud, deception and a series of immigration offences at the Reading Crown Court, he was jailed for two-and-a-half years, with an automatic recommendation that he be deported.
Burham's wife and children are now awaiting removal from the United Kingdom.
Gareth Redmond, area director for the UK Border Agency, said: "This conviction shows how seriously the UK Border Agency takes criminals who use false or fake identity documents.
"We now have teams of specialist police and immigration officers working side-by-side to investigate exactly this kind of crime. This is another example of their success".
Burham was one of nine people arrested during a UK Border Agency enforcement operation at KMB Catering in Southall.
The company was warned that they face a fine of up to 90,000 pounds for employing the men without carrying out the correct right-to-work checks.
Sukhjiwan Singh Burham, 37, was arrested by UK Border Agency officers during a raid on a catering firm in Southall on April 2.
He claimed to be a British national named Avtar Singh, and a later search of his property by immigration officers uncovered a marriage certificate and driving licence in that name.
However, they also found letters and other documentation in his true name.
UK Border Agency checks revealed that the real Avtar Singh is a British citizen living in Canada, who was interviewed by officials at the British High Commission to establish his identity.
Burham later admitted that he had entered the country illegally in 1996, and had paid 3,000 pounds for an illegally obtained United Kingdom passport.
He had then used that passport to enable his wife, whom he married in India in 2003, and three children to enter the country.
After pleading guilty to fraud, deception and a series of immigration offences at the Reading Crown Court, he was jailed for two-and-a-half years, with an automatic recommendation that he be deported.
Burham's wife and children are now awaiting removal from the United Kingdom.
Gareth Redmond, area director for the UK Border Agency, said: "This conviction shows how seriously the UK Border Agency takes criminals who use false or fake identity documents.
"We now have teams of specialist police and immigration officers working side-by-side to investigate exactly this kind of crime. This is another example of their success".
Burham was one of nine people arrested during a UK Border Agency enforcement operation at KMB Catering in Southall.
The company was warned that they face a fine of up to 90,000 pounds for employing the men without carrying out the correct right-to-work checks.
