British Border Agency Breaks Up Bangkok Ring

[george]

British Border Agency breaks up Bangkok ring

This in today from the British Border Agency via the British Embassy in Bangkok

A gang of British residents has been found guilty of helping eight illegal immigrants travel to the United Kingdom on flights from Bangkok and received prison sentences totalling 29 years, at a court in London, earlier this month.

The eight week trial was the culmination of a two year investigation by UK law enforcement agencies in London and Thailand.

The gang acted as escorts for clients who would fly from India to Bangkok. On arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, clients would be provided with counterfeit passports, visas and boarding passes for flights to London.

On arrival they would claim asylum, having already disposed of their passports and boarding passes to avoid being linked to flights originating in Bangkok.

In late 2008, officers from the UK Border Agency based at the British Embassy in Bangkok worked closely with airline staff, to identify and intercept a group of seven Indian nationals and two gang members attempting to board a flight to the UK at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

This operation contributed to the subsequent arrest of all five gang members during a series of early morning raids by UK Border Agency and Metropolitan Police officers at addresses in London in September 2009.

The guilty men, British nationals andrew-drummond.com/2011/02/25/british-border-agency-breaks-up-bangkok-ring

-- Andrew-Drummond.com 2011-02-25

[londonthai]

from the andrew's comment:

"The boarding passes were acquired in India for both legs of the journey, so Adam Edwards, spokesman at the UKBA, told me today. There was little Thai involvment I guess"

no thai smuggled or imprisoned, it was indians and brits of afghan origin. The only connection with thailand, that they were flying through bangkok

[nong38]

All the "British" nationals had good British names I see, thats what happens when you give assylum to almost everyone that turns up you end up with evryone that no one else wants. They milk the benefits and cry racialism and discrimination if anyone says anything. Well done the border agency,but, there is alot more to catch yet.

[transam]

All the "British" nationals had good British names I see, thats what happens when you give assylum to almost everyone that turns up you end up with evryone that no one else wants. They milk the benefits and cry racialism and discrimination if anyone says anything. Well done the border agency,but, there is alot more to catch yet.

+1,

BUT, will be a never ending story, they catch a few but imagine the numbers that get through.

[appropriate]

All the "British" nationals had good British names I see,

Must have missed this bit:

British Ambassador to Thailand, Asif Ahmad said:

[111tingtong]

All the "British" nationals had good British names I see,

Must have missed this bit:

British Ambassador to Thailand, Asif Ahmad said:

Agree, its that ridiculous its funny

[ParadiseLost]

All the "British" nationals had good British names I see,

Must have missed this bit:

British Ambassador to Thailand, Asif Ahmad said:

Agree, its that ridiculous its funny

Perhaps more than half the problem is that while the on the outside UK prides itself on human rights, equal opportunity, and welcomes people of all nations - in reality the English people are more than a little xenophobic towards anyone who: looks "different" (i.e. not lilly white), speaks a foreign language (or accent) or has a foreign name.

I have bad news for you guys - Mr Ahmad is just as British as you are, and it appears from his occupation that at least he is agreeable to foreigners...

Edited February 27, 2011 by ParadiseLost

[endure]

Perhaps more than half the problem is that while the on the outside UK prides itself on human rights, equal opportunity, and welcomes people of all nations - in reality SOME OF the English people are more than a little xenophobic towards anyone who: looks "different" (i.e. not lilly white), speaks a foreign language (or accent) or has a foreign name.

Slight correction there. Not all of us are Little Englanders.