A 61-year-old woman and her collection of wigs have been taken into custody on suspicion of fraud after she allegedly dressed in disguises to take UK citizenship tests on behalf of at least 14 applicants.
Immigration enforcement officers arrested the woman at her home in Enfield on Monday, BBC reported. Authorities claim she completed the tests, required for individuals seeking British citizenship or indefinite leave to remain, at multiple test centers across the UK, using doctored ID documents and an array of disguises to avoid detection.
Several false documents and wigs allegedly used in the scheme were seized during the arrest, according to the Home Office. The fraudulent activity is believed to have occurred between June 2022 and August 2023.
Phillip Parr, Inspector with the Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation team, commended the investigators. "This individual is believed to have orchestrated a pre-meditated plan to avoid detection, meticulously selecting disguises and test centre locations across the country," Parr said.
The woman remains in custody as the investigation continues. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the applicants who allegedly benefited from the scheme.
Originally published on Latin Times
