Three Sikh men helped nearly 70 Afghan illegal immigrants sneak into the UK using the real passports of British Sikhs in a £600,000 scam, a court heard.

Border officials were unable to distinguish between the illegal immigrants who masqueraded as the genuine passport holders because they were wearing turbans - which Sikh men are allowed to have on in their ID documents.

The gang would travel to France and hand over stolen or genuine passports to waiting immigrants which looked like them.

Once the immigrants got to the UK, the gang would recycle the passports passing them on to others trying to sneak into the country.

Davinder Chawla (left) and Daljit Kapoor (right) pictured at an earlier hearing. The gang would travel to France and hand over stolen or genuine passports to waiting immigrants

Cousins Daljit Kapoor, 41 and Harmit Kapoor, 42, and Davinder Chawla, 43, a member of the same extended family had all previously pleaded guilty to running the scam which charged each family over £,9000.

They provided Sikhs from the war-torn country with stolen passports or those of their own family members who most looked like them, so they could pass themselves off as British citizens.

One family of asylum seekers were found at Heathrow Airport without any identification after being smuggled into Britain.

They were abandoned by the gang in Terminal 1 before they claimed asylum with authorities.

The three men appeared at Inner London Crown Court today for the start of a Newton hearing after disagreements between the prosecution and the defence over their level of involvement in the scam.

Inner London Crown Court heard a total of 69 individuals who travelled to the UK on the passports were identified and 59 did not make an asylum application

The court heard the total value of the conspiracy was a '$800,000' - £621,000.

However the court was told there would be no Newton hearing in relation to Daljit Kapoor, following an agreement between the prosecution and defence over his basis of plea.

For the conspiracy the trio were paid up to $12,000 per family or £9,300 to get entry into the UK.

In total 69 individuals travelled to the UK on the passports were identified and 59 did not make an asylum application.

Prosecutor Alexandra Felix said: 'The central aim was to gain financially

Davinder Chawla, 43 (pictured), Daljit Kapoor, 41 and Harmit Kapoor, 42,a member of the same extended family had all previously pleaded guilty to running the scam which charged each family over £,9000

'At least one of conspirators with the a passport would travel to France to enable to asylum seeker to travel to the UK using this passport.

'These were passports with identities belonging to their families or others which were reported lost or stolen in the days before their use.

'The result of the conspiracy was there was entry into the UK that must have been in breach of immigration Law.

'They would enter the UK masquerading as genuine passport holders and disappear into society.

'This was a cynical money making enterprise where there was financial gain.'

The court heard a member of the gang would travel to France and hand over passports to men, women and children so they could get through border security.

Once in the UK they would then get the passports back and use them again with more asylum seekers looking to sneak into the UK.

The court was told about to one trip in May 2014 where 12 people managed to make it into the UK after travelling on the Eurostar.

The court was told about to one trip in May 2014 where 12 people managed to make it into the UK after travelling on the Eurostar

The prosecutor said: 'There is no evidence they were stopped and they must have entered the UK successfully.

'The actually passport holders have never been on the Eurostar and it follows the person travelling on that travel document must have been an impostor.

Both Kapoors, of Hounslow, and Chawla, of Isleworth, pleaded guilty in March this year, before the their trial was due to start, to one count of conspiracy help an asylum seeker to enter the UK in May and June 2014, just before their trial was due to start.

The hearing continues.