Woman arrested for doing citizen test in disguise

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of fraudulently taking UK citizenship tests for 12 legitimate applicants while in disguise, the Home Office has said.

The 42-year-old woman was arrested after investigators carried out a warrant at an address in Dartford, Kent, on Friday.

The Home Office said officers acted on knowledge that the woman was alleged to have completed the tests across several test centres in the UK, disguising herself and falsifying ID documents to avoid being recognised.

Chris Foster, the Home Office's criminal and financial investigation lead for London, said: "This individual went to extreme lengths, using wigs and disguises to impersonate others and cheat the immigration system."

When searching the property, officers discovered a second woman who tried to hide under a bed and she was arrested on suspicion of entering the UK illegally, the Home Office said.

Suspected false documents were also seized along with "a hoard" of luxury goods, including designer handbags, watches and shoes, that were presumed to have been bought through proceeds of crime, according to the Home Office.

The Life in the UK test is a requirement as part of an application for British citizenship or settlement in the country.

It includes 24 questions aimed at proving the applicant has sufficient knowledge of British values, history and society.

Both women remain in custody and the investigation continues, the Home Office says.

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