Editor's Blog

A West Australian Magistrates Court has found that for over 5-years Paul Gregory Harrison engaged in criminal conduct including stealing, fraud, receiving a fee for providing migration agent services when he was unqualified, forging documents and delivering false documents.

The 51-year-old Thornlie man was sentenced to a total of seven years’ jail after being convicted over the string of criminal and migration fraud offences which cost his victims over $730 000.

The charges arose from a joint investigation between DIBP and the WA Police Major Fraud Squad, involving a fictitious cattle deal with overseas buyers.

The Court sentenced Harrison to four years’ imprisonment in relation to 26 criminal fraud and stealing charges and three years’ imprisonment for 19 charges under the Migration Act related to unregistered migration advice, providing false or forged documents and misleading information to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).

Australian Border Force (ABF) Acting Assistant Commissioner, David Nockels, welcomed the result as a significant outcome for both law enforcement agencies.

"This significant sentence by the court sends a clear warning to people that migration and criminal fraud is a very serious offence which carries severe penalties," acting Assistant Commissioner Nockels said. "In order to avoid being a victim of migration fraud, people seeking migration advice should ensure they use only registered migration agents."

This sentencing follows the recent successful prosecution of another Western Australian man, Mr Charanvir Charanvir, who was gaoled for four years for similar offences and was ordered to repay costs of $39,000 to his victims