BREAKING: UK ARRESTS THREE OVER ALLEGED FAKE GAY ASYLUM CLAIMS

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UK immigration enforcement officers have arrested three people in connection with a suspected criminal network accused of helping migrants submit fraudulent asylum claims by falsely claiming to be gay.

The arrests follow a BBC investigation earlier this year which uncovered allegations that some law firms and advisers were helping migrants fabricate evidence and pose as gay in order to secure asylum in the UK.

Those targeted in the latest operation are accused of charging migrants up to £4,500 for fabricated evidence, including staged photographs and fake documents.

The network is believed to have assisted dozens of Bangladeshi men with asylum applications in which they claimed they would face persecution or threats to their lives if they returned home.

Two people were arrested at separate addresses in London on suspicion of fraud and immigration offences, while a third was arrested on suspicion of being in the UK illegally.

Home Office officers also seized mobile phones, jewellery and thousands of pounds in cash during the operation.

Chris Foster, a regional lead for criminal investigations at the Home Office, said the suspected fraudulent claims were linked to Apanjon, a Bangladeshi community LGBT organisation based in Whitechapel, east London.

He said asylum caseworkers initially identified suspicious patterns in a number of claims, prompting concerns about the organisation. Immigration enforcement officers subsequently conducted an investigation over several months.

“We’ve got some intelligence that they can provide fake letters and documents, and they could charge anywhere between £1,000 and £4,500,” Foster said.

He said the alleged fabricated evidence could include letters of support from Apanjon, staged photographs purporting to show claimants as gay, and letters from individuals claiming to be in same-sex relationships with the applicants.

The Home Office is currently reviewing more than 100 asylum claims believed to be connected to the suspected network. Foster said some of the fraudulent applications would have “undoubtedly” been approved.

Immigration judges have previously questioned the reliability and credibility of evidence linked to Apanjon. In one case, an applicant who claimed to have attended events organised by the group was found to have submitted staged photographs.

The Home Office said the organisation allegedly supported men who claimed asylum on the basis of their sexuality after they had initially been rejected on political grounds. In one case, an applicant reportedly did not mention his sexuality until nine years after making his original asylum claim.

The alleged methods are similar to those uncovered by the BBC in an investigation published earlier this year, which examined advisers accused of helping migrants fabricate evidence for asylum applications.

A Home Office spokesperson said claims linked to the earlier investigation were still being reviewed. The investigation had resulted in two arrests in May.

In the BBC investigation, published in April, an adviser identified as Tanisa Khan allegedly told an undercover reporter that she could provide a “comprehensive package”, including photographs taken at gay clubs and other supporting evidence.

Khan was linked to a community group known as Worcester LGBT, which she reportedly told the undercover reporter to attend to strengthen his fraudulent asylum claim.

Some men attending one of the group’s events at a community centre in Beckton, east London, reportedly claimed they were not gay.

The BBC investigation also found allegations that bogus medical conditions and fake news websites were being used to strengthen fraudulent asylum applications.

Worcester LGBT has since closed. Its founder previously denied that the organisation created or supported fabricated evidence for asylum applications, saying it was not the group’s responsibility to determine whether individuals were genuinely gay.

Khan attributed the allegations to a communication misunderstanding and denied advising the reporter to make a false claim or offering to create fabricated evidence.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned those allegedly involved in the fraud, saying people who fake persecution undermine genuine asylum seekers who require protection.

“To the gangs profiting from this disgraceful fraud: you will be prosecuted, stripped of your dirty money and shut down,” she said.

She added that people found to be cheating the asylum system would have their claims rejected and could be removed from the UK.

A conviction for asylum fraud carries a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years.