Driving Test Examiner Arrested in “Cash-for-Pass” Inquiry

Across the country today, police are investigating an alleged “Cash-for-pass” scam, in which driving test examiners are offering candidates a pass in exchange for money.

Officers swooped upon a North London driving test centre and took a man into custody under suspicion of the offence at 8am this morning, as well as seizing boxes of evidence. It is alleged the examiner was bribed with rewards of up to £3,000 per test that he agreed to pass in advance. Over 100 people have been identified by investigators to have fraudulently obtained their licences from the examiner by way of offering a cash reward. Each of these licences has been revoked.

Two driving instructors have been arrested as part of the investigation, as well as four test candidates, in areas across the country including North London, and Walsall, West Midlands.

Andrew Rice, the head of Fraud and Integrity at the Driving Standards Agency has said: “We believe the candidates have approached their driving instructor, they’ve had a conversation saying for ‘x’ amounts of money we can guarantee you a pass… The candidate then agrees to that. The driving instructor then speaks to our member of staff and tells them which candidate to pass.”

Almost 900 cases of alleged identity fraud are also being scrutinised as part of the ongoing investigation, under the suspicion that a high level of candidates are paying other, more experienced drivers to take the driving test in their place, due to the number of cases of identity fraud increasing in recent years.