Solicitor Mohammad Alias Yousaf, also known as Alias, has been secretly filmed by the BBC explaining how he could potentially make a £45,000 fine for employing an illegal worker disappear. The Bradford-based lawyer made the assertion to an undercover BBC reporter posing as a mini-mart owner facing the penalty.

The revelation comes amidst a wider BBC investigation into illegal working and associated criminality within certain high street businesses. Home Office figures obtained by the BBC indicate that at least £150 million in uncollected fines for illegal working is currently owed to the government, suggesting a significant challenge in enforcement.

During the recorded conversation, Alias reportedly told the undercover reporter that his services would cost 10% of the fine, amounting to £4,500, with payment required upfront. He allegedly suggested that the liability for the fine could be transferred to an individual residing outside the UK, by having that person declared as the business owner. The reporter posed as a business owner whose mini-mart had been found to be employing an illegal worker, although no actual shop, worker, or fine existed.

In response to the BBC's findings, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a review into the process of issuing and collecting illegal-working fines. She stated her intention to thank the BBC for exposing individuals who undermine the UK's rules and regulations.

Alias has denied ever providing such advice or offering false information to the Home Office. His name and that of his law firm, Liberty Solicitors, had previously appeared in social media videos, particularly on Kurdish Facebook pages, where some business owners praised his alleged ability to resolve immigration fine issues. Some of these videos garnered over 20,000 views.

An anonymous law enforcement official, speaking to the BBC, suggested that many business owners do not take illegal-working fines seriously. This official recounted seeing immigration fine notices, some valued at £40,000, stored casually on shop counters, with staff indicating they were not their responsibility.

One social media video featured a Kurdish shop owner who claimed Mr. Alias had successfully cancelled a fine after the owner had unsuccessfully sought assistance from other sources. The shop owner reportedly showed a letter as evidence of the fine's cancellation.

The BBC investigation monitored these social media videos for months, noting the mention of Alias's name, his law firm, and a mobile phone number. While Alias claims he did not commission, pay for, approve, or circulate these videos, their existence and content drew the attention of the BBC's undercover team.