Two men who oversaw colleges at which widespread cheating on English language tests was uncovered have been jailed today for conspiracy to commit fraud.

Mehboob Jilani was jailed for four years and Muhammad Bilal for two years at Preston Crown Court. 

The investigation was led by Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI).  Mehboob Jilani and Muhammad Bilal were managers at Secure English Language Test (SELT) centres.

The scam involved arranging for individuals who were proficient in the English language to repeatedly take SELT examinations on behalf of foreign nationals. The fraudulently obtained qualifications would be used to support applications for student visas or jobs.

A third man, Shaid Iqbal, who had acted as an ‘agent’, supplying applicants or test takers for the scam, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud before the trial.

Iqbal was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to undertake 100 hours community service on 25 April 2019 at Burnley Crown Court.

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The colleges – Innovative Learning Centre (ILC), Manchester College of Accountancy and Management (MANCAM) and Apex College - were all accredited to deliver SELT tests on behalf of Educational Testing Services (ETS), a company itself licensed by the Home Office. Evidence of cheating first surfaced when ETS conducted a series of unannounced inspection visits at the colleges in 2013.

At ILC in May 2013, before ETS inspectors could conduct further checks on candidates, a power cut occurred which Jilani, who was acting as a test administrator, attributed to a ‘fuse blowing’.  In reality, this was believed to be a cover for the ‘pilots’ leaving the room and the real candidates switching into their seats.

During an unannounced visit at MANCAM in June 2013, where the tests were being overseen by Bilal, ETS inspectors noted one student appearing to use a translation programme during the speaking section of a test, while others were not speaking at all.

Acting on this information, CFI investigators raided the three colleges in December 2014. This was part of a UK wide investigation into suspected abuse of the English language testing system.   

The CFI investigation which followed exposed systematic cheating. Investigators found that mobile phones belonging to Jilani contained hundreds of incriminating text messages organising and discussing the use of ‘pilots’.  ‘Pilot lists’ were also discovered at his home detailing names of students as well as the pilots who had taken the tests on their behalf.  

The organisers were charging individuals up to £750 for a test which ETS offered to the public online for £180.

Jilani and Bilal were found guilty on 3 April 2019 at Burnley Crown Court. Two further men, Shahidul Alam and Jawaid Iqbal, were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud as part of the same case.

The sentencing for Alam was adjourned to 22 August at Bradford Crown Court. Jawaid Iqbal failed to appear at court today and sentencing was deferred. A bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Anthony Hilton, from CFI, said, “These men orchestrated a systematic abuse of the English language testing system, enabling candidates to cheat their way to a qualification – and potentially a visa – to which they were not entitled.

“They used every trick in the book to try and avoid being caught, even staging ‘power cuts’ during inspections as a cover. The fraud was driven by a desire for personal financial gain, with each bogus test earning the offenders hundreds of pounds.

“Our investigations into English language test abuse are continuing across the country. This case demonstrates our determination to root out all those involved in organised immigration criminality and bring them to justice.”

SELT qualifications are required as supporting evidence to demonstrate language competence for student (Tier 4) visa applicants and are administered by a licensed provider on behalf of the Home Office.

In 2014, evidence of systematic cheating at colleges accredited by one of these providers (Educational Testing Services) was uncovered.

ILC (Charles Street, Manchester), Apex College (Charles Street, Manchester) and MANCAM (Sentinel House, Eccles) have all closed down.