A Chinese couple, arrested during a police swoop on their South London home, which resulted in the seizure of six bogus passports, have been jailed.
Pregnant Zhao Xin, 24, claimed she was sitting English tests at £200 a time on behalf of immigrants and £20,000 had passed through her bank account in just eleven days.
Ex-student Qi Lou, 26, who arrived in the UK in 2007, admitted he was an illegal overstayer, and the Home Office have started deportation proceedings.
Xin pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) to five counts of possessing a false identity document, namely a forged Chinese passport, with intent.
Lou similarly admitted possessing one false identity document, namely a forged Chinese passport, with intent.
On February 22, police armed with a search warrant, raided their Woolwich home and searched the premises.
Xin produced one of the forged passports – claiming it was hers – and the other four were found by police.
All were in different names, but contained her photograph.
Xin, who is six-months pregnant, claimed she could not work and needed money so sat exams for fellow countrywomen.
She was supplied the passports after responding to an internet ad, she claimed, and Lou insisted his forgery came form the same source.
Xin has an interpreter’s qualification from Middlesex University and told police she had sat just three exams on behalf of others.
Judge Simon Pratt told the defendants: “The possession of forged passports is now so prevalent the integrity of entire countries passports systems are in danger.
“You duped the examining body into believing you were the stated person on the passports so you could take exams for other people.”
Xin was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, which will automatically trigger deportation proceedings and Lou received ten months.
Proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act will follow.
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