Pak airline crew member jailed in UK

A Pakistan national employed as a crew member with Pakistan International Airlines has been jailed for 32 months for trying to smuggle dozens of counterfeit passports and fake passport materials into the UK.

Asif Haroon, 41, from Lahore, was arrested by UK Border Agency officers as he passed through the crew clearance controls at Heathrow on November 25 2011.
He had arrived as a steward on a Pakistan International Airlines flight from Karachi, official sources said.

Concealed under his clothes, Haroon was found to be carrying an envelope containing 39 Pakistan passports with counterfeit biodata pages or with biodata pages removed, around 250 counterfeit UK residence permits and a range of counterfeit UK passport components including biodata pages, laminates and holograms.

Haroon admitted he knew what was in the package and admitted being paid around 800 pounds for smuggling the items, the sources said. He later pleaded guilty to charges of possessing false identity documents and possessing articles for making false identity documents.

During a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday, he was sentenced to 32 months in prison, and was recommended for deportation following his sentence. Senior investigating officer Charlie Monks, from the UK Border Agency's Heathrow criminal and financial investigation team, said: "Haroon sought to abuse his position as a crew member, thinking that UK Border Agency officers would pay less attention to airline staff.

"As a result he now faces a substantial period of time behind bars".

He added: "There is no doubt in my mind that had Haroon not been stopped by our officers these documents would have ended up being used to create false identities, or help people work, claim benefits or stay illegally in the UK".