Three Sikhs helped Afghan asylum seekers sneak into the UK by lending them genuine British passports, a court heard today.

Daljit Kapoor, 41, Harmit Kapoor, 40, and Davinder Chawla, 42, allegedly provided the ID documents to lookalikes fleeing the war-ravaged country between May and June 2014.

Border officials were said to have difficulties distinguishing between the illegal immigrants and the Sikh passport holders, who are allowed to wear turbans for their passport photos.

Around 30 Afghans are said to have successfully claimed asylum after paying the trio to sneak them into the UK.

Daljit Kapoor, 41, right, and Davinder Chawla, 42, left, are also facing the same charges

Today both Kapoors and Chawla appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court accused of conspiring to help asylum seekers enter the UK.

Daljit Kapoor is also charged with helping asylum seekers to enter the UK and Chawla and Harmit Kapoor are charged with encouraging the commission of an either-way offence.

Prosecutor Edward Aydin said: ‘We say these three men are the facilitators in this organisation, this organised crime, where they are using genuine British passport holders within the Sikh community.’

He continued: ‘It’s a Sikh conspiracy and it’s occurring because it’s very difficult for the authorities at the border control to distinguish who’s who on the passports.’

District Judge Nigel Dean ordered the trio to surrender their passports to the Home Office while on bail.

The Kapoors must hand over the documents within 24 hours, but Chawla will be allowed to keep his until 26 September because he has booked a family holiday to Thailand and Dubai.

Chawla, of, Summerwood Road, Isleworth, Daljit Kapoor, of Frensham Close, Southall, and Harmit Kapoor, of Seven Sisters Road, Tottenham, will next appear for a preliminary hearing at Inner London Crown Court on 13 October.

All three appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court and were ordered to surrender their passports