THREE ARRESTED OVER NETWORK ACCUSED OF FAKING GAY ASYLUM CLAIMS

Home Office immigration enforcement officers arrested two people in London on Tuesday on suspicion of fraud and immigration offences. A third person was arrested on suspicion of being in the country illegally. Officers seized phones, jewellery and thousands of pounds in cash, the Home Office said. The arrests relate to a suspected network accused of charging migrants up to £4,500 for fabricated evidence, including staged photographs and fake documents, to support asylum claims. The Home Office said the network is believed to have helped dozens of Bangladeshi men claim asylum by falsely presenting themselves as gay and saying they feared for their lives if returned home.

Chris Foster, a regional lead for criminal investigations at the Home Office, said the arrests concerned claims connected to Apanjon, a Bangladeshi community LGBT organisation based in Whitechapel, east London. He said asylum caseworkers spotted patterns across suspicious claims that raised concerns about the group, leading immigration officers to investigate for several months. Foster said intelligence suggested the network could supply fake letters and documents for between £1,000 and £4,500. This could include letters of support purporting to be from Apanjon, staged photographs suggesting a claimant was gay, or letters from people claiming to be in a same-sex relationship with the claimant.

The Home Office said more than 100 asylum claims linked to the network are under review. The arrests follow a separate, earlier investigation that found law firms and advisers had been helping migrants pose as gay to support asylum applications. The Home Office said Tuesday's arrests relate to claims connected to Apanjon, distinct from the cases identified in that earlier investigation. The department said its investigation into the network remains ongoing.