According to reports, a lady who was imprisoned for taking roughly 150 theory and practical driving tests earned £28,000 from her unlawful business.
150 Driving Tests. Let that sink in.
It should come as no surprise that getting someone else to take your driving test for you is not a good idea, even though most people find taking driving tests to be nerve-racking.
There’s no way you can ask them to drive for you afterwards.
But it didn’t stop dozens of individuals from hiring Inderjeet Kaur, a Welshwoman from Llanelli, to take their theory and practical tests for them for a fee of between £700 and £800.
The 30-year-old travelled to places like Swansea, Carmarthen, Birmingham, and London to take over 150 examinations between 2018 and 2020 while pretending to be individuals who had paid her.
Her business endeavours were put on hold, though, when test centre employees began to get suspicious and the Welsh organized crime squad Tarian launched an inquiry after receiving a tip from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
Kaur entered a guilty plea in July at Swansea Crown Court and was given an eight-month prison term, of which she will serve four.
Following this, it was revealed at a crime hearing held today (7 October) at Swansea Crown Court that Kaur earned £28,250 by taking tests for individuals who had trouble speaking English.
The BBC reports that she was given a three-month deadline to pay £27,614 and £156 in court fees or risk a 12-month prison sentence.
Judge Huw Rees stated the following after the original sentencing: “This case, in my opinion, has three threads.
“The first is how many times between October 2019 and September 2020 you impersonated other people.
“The numerous venues you visited in both Wales and England is another.
“Thirdly, there were numerous candidates you impersonated who had low English skills and a history of failing driving exams.
This is a significant and troubling matter, and as a result of your offence, there are many untrained drivers on the highways in this country.
Kaur’s acts, according to detective chief inspector Steven Maloney, may have been motivated by avarice.
“The offences Kaur committed sidestep the driving test procedure and in turn puts innocent road users at risk,” he added. “By allowing incompetent and hazardous motorists to hold supposedly legal licenses.”
“Keeping unqualified drivers off the road has always been a top concern, and catching those who break the law guarantees that we can.
“Kaur’s offending has been stopped, she has been brought to justice, and we today welcome the sentence imposed by the courts,” the statement continued. “By collaborating with the DVSA, this complex criminal investigation highlighted the extent of Kaur’s offending, which was solely motivated by greed.
“These types of fraud pose serious threats to the general public, and I urge any members of the public who have knowledge on such crimes to report them to the police or even anonymously via crime stoppers.”