A grinning 'bogus college' boss faces six years in prison after being sentenced in his absence for profiting from the immigration system.
Muhammad Babar Bashir, 38, who posed on a bed full of the ill-gotten gains collected from the 'cash for visas' scam, fled the country after being found guilty by a jury.
He removed his electronic tag in January and failed to turn up for a sentencing hearing held at Manchester Crown Court on Friday afternoon.
His co-defendant, Koteswara Nallamothu, 36, who helped provide students for a college in Ashton, received a suspended sentence during the same hearing.
Another co-defendant, Tashina Nayyar, 51, was previously jailed for two years and three months for her part in the crime.
Police found about £90,000 in cash hidden in her loft, and a further £29,500 in a safety deposit box.
St John College in Ashton and Kinnaird College in Manchester city centre had no books, equipment or teachers providing lessons.
But they were used to help people who wouldn't otherwise be entitled to live and study in the UK to do so.
Potential 'students' would hand over money in exchange for a 'golden ticket', a confirmation of acceptance of study (CAS) letter - which enabled them to get a student visa.
Hundreds of such letters were given out at both colleges, 955 'students' through St John College, with 352 at Kinnaird.
At Kinnaird College in Stevenson Square, officials from the Home Office saw students knocking on the door and trying to get in.
But despite this lack of provision for the students, no complaints were received.
Investigators later shut down the college.
The court was told that the majority of students who applied for CAS were already living in the EU, but used it as a way of securing their immigration status.
Students coming from non European Union countries can study in the UK under the law at tier four colleges, which have been given permission to provide such courses.
To offer CAS to students, these colleges must have a sponsor licence from the Home Office.
Some of those who bought CAS genuinely wanted to study, but others did not.
Usually, students entering the country who need CAS pay a nominal fee of £14 to cover an administration fee to the Home Office.
But Nallamothu was advertising it on his mobile phone as costing ‘£500 with or without English’.
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Guilty verdicts against Bashir and Nallamothu were returned following a lengthy trial led by prosecutors Jane Greenhalgh and Huw Edwards.
Sentencing, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said: "The profits to be made were substantial. The motivation was plainly financial."
Bashir, of Bold Street, Moss Side, and Nallamothu, of Nallamothu, of Upper Wortley Road, Rotherham, were sentenced after being found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate breaches of UK immigration law following a trial. Nayyar, of Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, pleaded guilty to the same offence.
Bashir received a six year sentence, which will start after he is arrested.
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Nallamothu was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, and must observe a curfew from 9pm to 7.30am for five months.
After a previous hearing, David Magrath, deputy directior of Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI) team, which uncovered the abuse, said: “Nayyar purported to be selling an education, but, all she was selling were documents which customers were told were golden tickets to a life in the UK.
“Since this abuse was uncovered a number of reforms have been made to the immigration system which has slashed student fraud and made it much harder for criminals like Nayyar to operate.
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“Those measures and the robust action we have taken in this case demonstrates that we will not tolerate abuse of the immigration rules and will pursue any sponsors that try to profit by cheating the system.”
