Stoyan Stoyanov, a Bulgarian national convicted in Britain's biggest-ever benefits fraud case, is demanding deportation. However, authorities are refusing to send him back to Bulgaria until he helps recover the millions he helped steal from the UK welfare system.
A Bulgarian criminal who played a key role in orchestrating Britain's largest ever benefits fraud is now demanding deportation, but authorities are refusing to send him back to Bulgaria until he helps them recover the millions he helped steal. Stoyan Stoyanov , 28, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2024 for his involvement in a £50 million scam. This fraud involved a group of Bulgarian nationals exploiting Britain's welfare system.
They utilized fake documents and real people's identities to submit fraudulent Universal Credit claims, accumulating substantial sums of money while mocking UK authorities on WhatsApp. Despite completing his prison term, Stoyanov remains in the UK on immigration bail as prosecutors continue to pursue hidden assets linked to the scam. Frustrated by his situation, Stoyanov requested deportation at a confiscation hearing last week, arguing that he has a 'right to a normal life.' The father of three, who claims to be struggling financially, expressed his plea for deportation in court. 'Why should my wife and children - all of whom have health issues - continue to suffer?' he questioned the judge, speaking through a translator. 'Where is the fairness in that?' However, Mr. Justice Aaronberg KC swiftly rejected his argument, reminding him that he had committed an 'extremely serious offence' and must face the consequences. This case involves five criminals who were jailed for a total of 25 years at Wood Green Crown Court last May. The mastermind behind the operation, Galina Nikolova, 39, is currently serving an eight-year sentence and happens to be Stoyanov's long-term partner. Another key figure, Gyunesh Ali, 34, was sentenced to seven years after flaunting his lavish lifestyle funded entirely by stolen benefits. His lawyer recently argued in court that Ali should be allowed to have a games console and a laptop upon his release, a request that the judge granted. The true extent of the fraud is believed to be significantly larger than the £50 million already uncovered. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has acknowledged that hundreds of millions of pounds could still be missing. So far, only £1 million has been recovered. Eastern European criminals exploited 6,000 identities to submit claims for Universal Credit and even used the names of children living in Bulgaria as part of the five-year scheme. They established three 'benefit factories' across London, churning out forged tenancy agreements, counterfeit payslips, and fabricated letters from landlords, employers, and GPs to deceive the DWP. The scam went undetected for years due to what the judge described as 'woefully inadequate' fraud checks at the DWP. It was only by chance that the operation was exposed when a Bulgarian police officer informed British authorities that criminals in his hometown were suddenly 'living like barons', flaunting cash stolen from UK taxpayers. Consequently, many gang members were apprehended, but some, including Tsvetka Todorova, 53, have already been released after serving only half their sentences. Todorova, who stole nearly £300,000, has reportedly told Bulgarian media that her time in a British prison felt like a holiday. Two other criminals - Galina Nikolova, 38, and Stoyan Stoyanov, 28 - pictured together in 2020 during a holiday in Turkey. Other members of the gang included Gyunesh Ali, 33, Patritsia Paneva, 26, and Tsvetka Todorova, 52. Patritsia Paneva, 26, (left) and Tsvetka Todorova, 52, (right) pleaded guilty alongside the four other criminals at Wood Green Crown Court.
BENEFITS FRAUD UK BULGARIA DEPORTATION STOYAN STOYANOV GALINA NIKOLOVA CRIME
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