A Birmingham fraudster who masqueraded as a legitimate accountant and immigration adviser has been jailed for more than fove years after masterminding an elaborate visa scam.
Muhammad Munir operated the fraud ring alongside accomplices before being caught through an undercover sting operation, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
The scheme involved providing clients with fabricated employment records to satisfy the £29,000 annual income threshold required for bringing spouses to the United Kingdom.
Authorities confirmed the operation led to the submission of 14 spousal visa applications, with five of these successfully obtaining approval before investigators uncovered the deception.
Munir presented himself as both a registered accountant and authorised immigration services provider, although he held neither qualification.
His criminal enterprise centred on manufacturing false employment documentation for individuals seeking to bring their partners to Britain.
By creating fictitious job positions for his clients, Munir enabled applicants to fraudulently meet this financial criterion on their applications.
He charged fees for his services while systematically deceiving both his clients and immigration authorities through the elaborate documentation scheme.
Muhammad Munir operated the fraud ring alongside accomplices
|WEST MIDLANDS POLICE
Those five approved visas are now subject to review by authorities as the investigation continues.
Officials have indicated additional applications potentially connected to Munir's fraudulent operation remain under active examination.
Munir's partners in the scheme have also received custodial sentences following the successful undercover operation that exposed the fraud ring.
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Muhammad Munir was jailed for more than five years at Birmingham Crown Court
| GETTYThe investigation into the full extent of the criminal enterprise and any further visa applications linked to the group is ongoing
Victoria Norman, a senior specialist prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Munir used his knowledge to abuse the visa system to make easy money for himself and his criminal associates.
“The CPS will continue to work with immigration enforcement and others at home and abroad to bring those involved in any aspect of organised immigration crime to justice.”
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