A Bulgarian criminal who helped orchestrate Britain’s largest-ever benefits fraud is begging to be deported but authorities are refusing until they recover millions in stolen assets.
Stoyan Stoyanov, 28, has remained in the UK on immigration bail despite serving his four-year prison sentence for his role in a £50million scam that exploited Britain’s welfare system.
The father-of-three was part of a Bulgarian gang that used fake documents and stolen identities to make fraudulent Universal Credit claims.
Now claiming to be living “hand to mouth”, Stoyanov is demanding to return home to Bulgaria, but prosecutors are keeping him in Britain while they pursue hidden assets linked to the massive fraud operation.
Stoyan Stoyanov remains in the UK on immigration bail
CPS
The gang members were jailed for a total of 25 years at Wood Green Crown Court last May. The scale of the operation was staggering, with the gang hijacking 6,000 identities to make fake Universal Credit claims.
The criminals established three “benefit factories” across London, churning out counterfeit documents including fake tenancy agreements, payslips and forged letters from landlords, employers and GPs.
The scam went undetected for years due to what the judge described as “woefully inadequate” fraud checks at the Department for Work and Pensions.
The operation was only exposed when a Bulgarian police officer alerted British authorities that criminals in his hometown were suddenly “living like barons” with money stolen from UK taxpayers.
The Department for Work and Pensions admits the true scale could be far greater than the £50million already uncovered, with hundreds of millions potentially still missing.
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At a confiscation hearing last week, Stoyanov pleaded for his deportation, saying: “Why should my wife and children – all of whom have health issues – continue to suffer? Where is the fairness in that?”
His outburst was swiftly dismissed by Justice Aaronberg KC as he reminded the Bulgarian fraudster that he had committed an “extremely serious offence” and must face the consequences.
Stoyanov’s legal team has criticised the ongoing delays, stating that their client cannot work, cannot claim benefits, and has no future in Britain.
With confiscation proceedings still unresolved, his forced stay in the UK could be extended into the summer months.
The gang’s ringleader, Galina Nikolova, 39 – Stoyanov’s long-term partner – is still serving her eight-year sentence.
The gang members were jailed for a total of 25 years at Wood Green Crown Court last May
PA
Social media photos show Stoyanov posing with a red rose and sporting a tattoo of a woman resembling Nikolova.
Another key member, Gyunesh Ali, 34, received a seven-year sentence after flaunting his lavish lifestyle funded by stolen benefits.
Gang member Tsvetka Todorova, 53, who stole nearly £300,000, has already been released after serving half of her sentence.
In a brazen interview with Bulgarian media, Todorova gloated that her time at HMP Bronzefield was “like a vacation home”, boasting about using the gym and getting manicures.
Unlike Stoyanov, Todorova has expressed her desire to remain in the UK although her immigration status remains unclear.
Despite extensive investigations, authorities have recovered just £1million of the stolen funds so far and are refusing to allow Stoyanov’s deportation until they recover the money in hidden assets linked to the fraud.
