Fraudster Jailed for Trying to Sit Other People’s Driving Tests

Fraudster Swallaxadin Abdul Bashir, aged 42, of Coventry, was jailed for 28 months for trying to sit driving theory tests for other people.

Warwick Crown Court heard he has served three previous sentences for similar crimes.

Bashir impersonated applicants in an attempt to sit their theory tests at 12 locations across England between October 2018 and August 2019.

He committed offences in Nottingham, Scunthorpe, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Salisbury, York, St Helens, Cambridge, Southport and Manchester.

He was reported to the DVSA’s fraud investigation team after theory centre staff suspected that he was adopting the identities of genuine candidates to take the tests.

All test pass results that he carried out were rejected and in some cases, he was turned away before taking the test.

The fraudster pleaded guilty to the 12 counts of fraud. An earlier court hearing was told that investigators found evidence of people booking tests with him on his mobile phone.

The investigation was supported by West Midlands Police. Officers searched Bashir’s home and another property linked to him.

They found distinctive items of clothing that were spotted on test centre CCTV.

Andy Rice, the DVSA’s head of counter fraud and investigation, said:

“Theory tests are a vital way of assessing if people have the right driving knowledge and attitude to drive safely.”

Bashir had previously been convicted of similar crimes on four previous occasions.

The first incident happened in February 2014. Bashir fraudulently posed as a candidate in a driving theory test in Wigan. He received a six-month suspended sentence.

Later that year, he was convicted at Wood Green Crown Court for committing similar crimes at London-based test centres. He was jailed for 12 months.

Bashir’s next conviction took place in July 2016. He was jailed for two years on 13 counts of the same fraud.

In July 2017, while out on licence from the previous year’s conviction, Bashir was sentenced to 18 months in prison for identical crimes.

In 2017, a court heard he would offer to take driving theory tests on behalf of people who had difficulty with the English language. Bashir charged up to £500 to take the test.

Mr Rice added:

“Working with other agencies, we make every effort to prosecute theory test fraudsters.

“This significant prison sentence shows the impact of this work.”

On January 8, 2020, Swallaxadin Abdul Bashir received a 28-month prison sentence.

The Independent reported that the police are now looking for the people who paid the fraudster to carry out the theory tests on their behalf.