Couple sentenced after 20 years of immigration and identity fraud

Jahangir Alam and Taj Parvin Shilpi were sentenced on Friday in the Auckland District Court after being found guilty of 40 charges of immigration and identity fraud spanning 20 years.

A 4-year prison sentence handed down to Jahangir Alam sends a strong message that those who break immigration law and act fraudulently will be held to account.

Alam and his co-offender, Taj Parvin Shilpi, were sentenced last Friday in the Auckland District Court after being found guilty of 40 charges of immigration and identity fraud spanning 20 years.

Alam was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment, while Shilpi received 12 months’ home detention, converted from a 24-month prison sentence after a 20% discount was granted for health reasons.

The sentences followed a 3-week trial held at the Auckland District Court in March.

Alam used a false identity to obtain a visitor visa and enter New Zealand. After arriving in New Zealand, he secured a work permit, resident visa, and ultimately New Zealand citizenship and 2 New Zealand passports. Alam also used this identity to support 14 applications for immigration permits and visas for his wife, Shilpi and 1 for his mother.

Both Alam and Shilpi knew that Alam was not using his genuine identity and provided false or misleading information to Immigration New Zealand in advancing those applications.

Alam’s genuine name and date of birth remains unknown, as does the reason why he withheld his genuine identity.

Alam and Shilpi’s convictions are the result of a complex 6-year Immigration investigation. The investigation crossed international boundaries and required collaboration with United States and Japanese authorities to bring charges before the court, and the support of Australian authorities who provided valuable cross-border assistance at trial.

Steve Watson, General Manager Immigration Compliance & Investigations says these sentences send a clear message of deterrence for those who would seek to undermine the integrity of New Zealand’s border.

“The severity of this sentence reflects the serious nature of identity and immigration fraud and demonstrates the penalties for those looking to exploit the immigration system” says Steve. “Those who provide false information and are dishonest in their dealings with Immigration New Zealand, will be held to account for their actions."

“Immigration Compliance and Investigations would like to thank international authorities involved in this case for their assistance with this investigation and prosecution. This case is an example of how Immigration Investigations engages with global counterparts — striving to identify and hold to account those that commit crimes across international borders.”

We encourage anyone with any knowledge of immigration fraud to come forward.

To report a case of fraud, contact the MBIE reporting line on 0800 200 088.

To report an issue anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.