London:An Indian illegal immigrant to the UK has been jailed for impersonating more than 30 learner drivers at theory tests for money.

Palwinder Singh Johal, who entered the UK in 2006, had repeatedly gone to test centres and sat the written exams on behalf of learner drivers. He was caught when officials noticed that the same bank account was being used to pay multiple test fees.

Alex Durran, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court that Johal was also spotted because of his high success rate.

She added: "CCTV images show Mr Johal taking tests at a number of test centres from Birmingham to Chelmsford, from Croydon to Staines."

Miss Durran told the court that when Johal's home in Slough was searched by police last year, more than £9,000 in cash was found, Daily Mail reports.

Balhar Singh, with whom Johal was sharing the house, was also arrested. However, he failed to answer bail and is still at large.

Durran said that Johal told police he was paid £100 per test and that he agreed to the scheme to pay back £20,000 to the people who helped him come to the UK illegally.

After failing to answer bail, Johal was arrested in April this year while trying to take a construction safety test in Oxford. Johal will be deported to India at the end of his sentence.

 

Source : IANS