UK – A couple from Barton were caught trying to smuggle a Nigerian baby into Britain.
Simon Heap, 47, and Gladys Effa-Heap, 52, were given a suspended jail
sentence on Tuesday after admitting facilitating a breach of
immigration law.
A Border Force spokesman said the couple had travelled to Nigeria and went to the British High Commission in Lagos to apply for a passport for a baby girl.
They claimed Mrs Effa-Heap had given birth within days of them arriving in Africa.
They produced a birth certificate but that was found to be bogus, and DNA tests proved the baby was not related to them.
The Heaps flew home to Britain without the baby but were later
arrested by officers from a specialist police and Border Force
taskforce.
On Tuesday the pair were sentenced to 12 months jail but it was
suspended for 12 months. They must also do 250 hours of community
service.
Marc Owen, head of Border Force at Heathrow, said: “This
was a shocking case where a couple attempted to pass someone else’s baby
off as their own in an attempt to bring it to the UK.
“Thanks to the close co-operation between Border Force, the
Metropolitan Police and staff at the British High Commission they were
stopped and we were able to bring them to justice.”
Detective Inspector Kate Bridger said: “A child should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold.
“This couple attempted to circumvent the adoption system and deceive the authorities.
“That system is in place to protect children and we will do all we
can to bring to justice those who try and get round it in this kind of
way.”
