In a startling turn of events, 33-year-old Saheed Azeez, a Nigerian man who secured asylum in the United Kingdom by claiming to be gay, has been exposed for orchestrating a £220,000 fraud. Azeez, who settled in Wigan, Greater Manchester, fathered three children with three different women despite his initial claims.
Over a span of 14 months, Azeez established a network involving several individuals, utilizing their residences as delivery points for goods obtained from online vendors. The fraud scheme involved Azeez persuading sellers on platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace to dispatch items before receiving payment. He then collected these items and sold them at his brother's electronics store in Wigan, sharing the proceeds with his accomplices in Bitcoin.
A total of 272 people fell victim to the scam, shipping second-hand electronics such as smartphones and cameras without ever receiving payment. The investigation was triggered by suspicious parcel activity in North Manchester linked to Azeez.
Azeez was apprehended while dropping off his son at school, attempting to conceal three smartphones used in the fraudulent activities in the child's school bag. Further investigations revealed his involvement in creating 37 untraceable bank accounts under six different names, which accepted cryptocurrency as part of the illicit operation.
Prosecutor Andy Evans detailed Azeez's role in the online fraud, where he convinced UK sellers to send items before payment. Azeez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and planning to possess criminal property. He now faces a potential six-year jail sentence and has been newly identified as bisexual. This shocking case highlights the complexities and misuse of the asylum system in the UK.
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