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Five immigration officers stole cash from small boat migrants as they arrived at Dover, a court heard.
Besmir Matera, 36, Jack Mitchell, 33, Lee-Ann Evanson, 42, John Bernthal, 53, and Ben Edwardes, 45, were charged with conspiracy to steal following a Home Office investigation into thefts from migrants.
A sixth officer David Grundy, 43, was charged at the same time with money laundering offences between August 2021 and November 2022.
Matera, who is Albanian, was also charged for entering the UK illegally between July 2003 and March 2004 after forging an asylum application with a false name, date of birth and nationality.
He is said to have entered the UK on a school trip but told authorities he is from Kosovo.
Matera was also charged with possessing false passports between 2011 and 2022 and a false driving licence between 2018 and 2022.
Jack Mitchell (L) and Lee-Ann Evanson (R) are accused of stealing cash from small boat migrants who arrived at Dover
Besmir Matera (L) was charged for forging an asylum application and David Grundy (R) was charged with money laundering offences
John Bernthal (L) and Ben Edwardes (R) were charged at Westminster Magistrates’ Court
The six defendants, who are from London, Berkshire, Surrey and Kent, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
The investigation took place by Home Office anti-corruption investigators between August 2021 and November 2022.
Prosecutor Ms Earis said: ‘At the time of these offences, these defendants were colleagues working in immigration enforcement clandestine operation response team, dealing with migrants arriving on small boats across the channel.’
She added: ‘The Crown alleges that they conspired together to steal cash from migrants on small boats.’
The prosecutor said many of the migrants travel to the UK with ‘relatively large’ amounts of cash.
She continued: ‘When the defendants became aware of that, they worked together to take that money from the cells and share it.
‘The converting criminal property relates to taking that money elsewhere after.’
District Judge Paul Goldspring told the six defendants each will face an indictable-only offence, he said: ‘Each of you will enjoy your bail. If you do not turn up at your next hearing you will be committing a separate offence which will be treated more seriously.’
The six were granted conditional bail not to contact prosecution witnesses ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at Southwark Crown Court on February 26.