Crime fixer caught by BBC providing to erase £60K advantageous on migrant employees

A person on the middle of an organized crime community has been filmed secretly telling undercover BBC journalists how he can assist keep away from fines of as much as £60,000 for using unlawful employees.

Self-described “accountant” is amongst a gaggle of Kurdish males uncovered for the primary time A BBC investigation on TuesdayWho, by registering companies of their names, allow migrants to work illegally in mini-marts.

The man, identified solely as Shaksawan, instructed two journalists that he and his associates may assist migrants, together with refugees, arrange companies illegally and “confuse” immigration enforcement.

Operating from a solicitor's workplace in Huddersfield, he stated he had “clients in every town”.

In the Companies House itemizing, Shaxavan is known as as Kardos Mateen, a British resident of round 30 years outdated, and has been a director of 18 companies within the north of England.

Later, after we requested him for particulars of his claims, he denied any wrongdoing.

Trading Standards confirmed that he discovered unlawful cigarettes being bought in a number of companies registered in Kardos Mateen's title, and that the BBC discovered counterfeit tobacco being bought in 4 mini-marts, the place he was listed as a director.

A two-part BBC News investigation has revealed the sophistication and scale of legal networks benefiting from undocumented work on UK excessive streets. The Government has acknowledged that lax regulation of the UK labor market is appearing as an attraction issue for individuals coming into the UK illegally.

Shaksawan made a number of claims to our reporters:

• He may arrange an organization and supply financial institution playing cards and a card machine to just accept funds from clients by treating one in every of our undercover reporters as an asylum seeker.
• His community could “confuse” immigration enforcement groups who “will not have time” to research the small print.
• Fake administrators could be paid to register the mini-marts of their names, whereas unlawful employees, together with asylum seekers, would truly run the enterprise.
• In separate offers, different individuals, referred to as “ghost names”, could be paid to hold out massive fines of their names for committing unlawful acts.
• An “English lady” within the community will assist to “zero out” the massive advantageous and cope with different points like electrical energy, fuel and bail

Our reporters additionally spoke to a paralegal, additionally current at Shaksawan, who provided to “forge documents,” together with “business agreements,” to keep away from fines.

It took a number of months to rearrange the primary assembly with Shaksawan.

He arrived in a white 4×4 BMW at a busy retail park in Manchester, believing he was assembly an asylum seeker who was working a mini-mart and promoting unlawful cigarettes.

Actually, he was assembly Saman (fictitious title), a Kurdish journalist working secretly for the BBC.

At a café, Shaxwan freely shared particulars of what he and his colleagues have been capable of provide: “We are a group. Each of us provides a service and works together,” he stated.

He described how he labored with an “English lady who dealt with electricity, gas and bailiffs”. And when Immigration Enforcement points a advantageous, he stated, “she zeroes it out”.

“I will…set up your company, provide [card] Get the machine, electricity, talk to your landlord,” Shaxwan assured him. “I'll make sure you don't have any problems.”

He told Samman that he must register a mini-mart business in someone else's name – sometimes known as a “ghost director”. It would cost £400 a month, he said, and would require a one-off payment of £140 to gain access to a business bank card.

He explained that if the store was raided by law enforcement and fined, the Ghost director would be the one to “take the chance.”

“That's why you're paying,” he said.

To show that he was being truthful and to reassure, Shaksawan called someone whom he said could act as a ghost director.

Saman explained to the man on the phone that he did not have asylum status.

“Don't worry,” came the reply. “As Mr. Shaxwan says, send the money at the end of the month.”

ID documents sent to Saman over the phone after his meeting with Shaxwan revealed that the probable Ghost director was 28-year-old Briar Mohammad Zada ​​of Iran.

According to Companies House records, Mr Zada ​​has held company directorships for 20 car washes and mini-marts from Newcastle upon Tyne to Essex in the last 12 months.

Undercover journalists discovered that illegal cigarettes were being sold at four of Mr Zada's businesses.

Mr Zada ​​did not respond to questions from the BBC.

Samman later called Shaxwan for a second meeting and Shaxwan suggested they meet at RKS Solicitors in Huddersfield.

The firm is registered with the Law Society and has branches in Dewsbury and Sheffield.

The meeting was organized on the basis that Saman needed help dealing with an illegal working fine that had been awarded to a family member.

There is no mention of the names “Shaksawan” or “Mateen” on the firm's website.

But when Samman was outside the solicitor he called Shaxavan and Shaxavan opened the front door and welcomed him inside.

He took our reporter upstairs to an office, where he explained how Saman's family members could avoid the fine by transferring the company details to someone else for a fee.

RKS Solicitors told the BBC there was no connection to any alleged immigration or fine-related misconduct.

We later had our second undercover reporter, “Ali”, who is also Kurdish, call the same RKS Solicitors branch to investigate further – but without mentioning Shaksawan.

Posing as the owner of a Kurdish mini-mart, he told the woman who answered the phone that he had received a £60,000 fine from immigration enforcement for hiring two people without the right to work.

He was given an appointment with Zohaib Hussain, who is listed on the RKS website as a paralegal – someone who can advise on legal matters but is not a qualified lawyer and works under supervision.

When Ali was coming to the RKS office for an appointment with Mr Hussain, he met Shaxwan outside. On the road, Shaxwan repeated his claim made from the summons – that he could “zero out” the fine without any refund from the authorities.

Shaksawan again referred to the “English girl” he had mentioned at the previous meeting, and said that she could ensure that fines for illegal work were reassigned to other people, as if they were the guilty business owners.

Shaksvan said that these would be Hungarians who “reside close by”. He will be paid between £2,000-£3,000 and his name will be used to take responsibility for the fine.

He didn't provide further details, but the immigration lawyer we spoke to suggested it could be much like getting a fine for speeding and naming someone else on the paperwork as the person driving the car – and therefore having to pay the fine.

Shaksawan said the total cost to Ali would be approximately £4,600 per illegal worker. He said he has done this successfully in “Manchester, Birmingham, Blackpool and Leeds”, with the process usually taking about four weeks.

He said Ali's company would have to be shut down, reopened and re-registered under a new name.

Then Ali was allowed to go to the RKS branch and Shaxwan also came inside. Inside an office, Shaxwan showed him documents on his phone containing details of people he claimed he had helped earlier.

Shaxwan claimed that the scam would confuse immigration enforcement officers who would not have time to investigate the details.

Ali was then introduced to paralegal Zohaib Hussain. Shaxwan remained in the room during the entire meeting.

Speaking rapidly and softly, Mr Hussain fired questions at our reporter about his cover story – mini-marts and immigration fines.

“How many unlawful employees? So how a lot is the advantageous? How many occasions did they catch you?”

Then, laughing, he asked what was sold in the mini-mart: “Do you promote vapes? Legal or unlawful? A bit little bit of each?”

When Ali said his mini-mart was registered in someone else's name, Mr Hussain said: “Very intelligent then, very intelligent already.”

The first step would be to deal with fines, Mr Hussain said.

If Ali is not spared the fine, he added, “we will even take a look at another issues that we have to do as a precaution.”

“Sometimes we have to draw up documents, like “business agreements,” Mr. Hussain said.

After this Ali asked whether the fine would be transferred to someone else's name. Mr Hussain said this would be a “final resort”.

Before the meeting ended, Mr Hussain warned that immigration officials would want to impose fines immediately – taking a swipe at his throat.

He said his fee would be £3,500 and he would “take care of us”. He then asked Ali to share any future immigration enforcement letters with Shaxwan.

We showed our covert filming and translation to senior immigration lawyer Bryony Rest, who told us that Hussain was “clearly providing to falsify paperwork”.

She stated “potential fraud and immigration crimes” are taking place and she would expect law enforcement to investigate.

When we later contacted Mr Hussain for comment he responded by email that he denied “all allegations, insinuations and claims” made by us.

“For the sake of readability, the person named in your correspondence, Mr. Shaxwan Jawad, will not be related to me in any capability; skilled, private, or in any other case.”

In a statement to the BBC, RKS Solicitors said the company was conducting an internal review and the “particular person involved” has been suspended pending further investigation.

“We are notifying the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in advance,” the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said.

“Mr Hussain has been employed as a paralegal below shut supervision…the person will not be licensed or directed to supply immigration and tax recommendation.”

The company did not comment on Shaxwan Jawad. It said it does not condone unlawful conduct and is committed to “the very best requirements of professionalism, integrity and public service”.

Shaksawan, also known as Kardos Mateen, told us by email that he categorically denied “every allegation, insinuation and claim” in our reporting, and said he is “not employed by, affiliated with, or acting on behalf of RKS Solicitors in any capacity.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Home Office would investigate the BBC's findings.

“Illegal operations and the organized criminality related to it encourage individuals to come back right here illegally. We is not going to stand for it,” he stated.

Additional reporting Phil Edwards and Kirsty Brewer