Pak family broke "every rule in book" to exploit UK lax immigration controls for benefits

London, Jan 28 (ANI): A Pakistani family of five reportedly broke "every rule in the book" to exploit Britain's lax immigration controls and defraud taxpayers out of thousands.

The 82-year-old ringleader, Bagh Ali, was described by a judge as a "rent-a-husband" after masterminding a "careful and orchestrated" plan to bring in illegal immigrants to claim benefits, Express.co.uk reports.

The deception began when he kept his first wife's passport after their divorce in 1995, which held the names of her two children. With this, he fraudulently enabled his second wife, Rehana Awan, to bring her two children, Imran Shazadi and Usman Khan in Britain.

One of his sons, Rizwah Khan was still stranded in Pakistan, and therefore, Imran was sent back under her false identity to wed her brother in a sham marriage in 2005.

Immigration officials were fooled, leading him to join his family in Leeds, West Yorks.

The UK Border Agency discovered that Awan pocketed 17,500 pounds in jobseeker's allowance, carer's allowance and family benefits, Leeds Crown Court heard. It also discovered that Shazadi had used her false identity to obtain a mortgage and claim council tax and welfare benefits, including income support and a carer's allowance of 15,000 pounds.

Sentencing Ali, Judge Macgill said: "Within the family a careful and orchestrated plan was hatched to allow them to come into the UK by hook or by crook."

"You are clearly a cunning and devious individual. I don't know whether you are rent-a-husband, but your previous marriages are very confusing."

He was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years due to his age and ill health.(ANI)