The United Kingdom Border Agency (UK BA) officers made 17 arrests across the country in an operation against suspected sham marriages, UK BA officials told Pakistan Today.
They said that the operation was carried out in coordination with France and Portugal where 16 arrests were made in this regard.
Under the UK operation, which was focused around six separate investigations, arrests were made in London, Liverpool, Bristol and Kent.
A major part of the operation was against a Portuguese crime group which has allegedly been providing ‘brides’ and ‘grooms’ for west African and Pakistani nationals in UK and France.
Seven arrests were made in the UK, 10 in France and six in Portugal in this investigation alone.
“We believe we have disrupted a significant organised crime group suspected of being involved in organising sham marriages in UK, France and Portugal,” said Andy Radcliffe of the UK Border Agency, whose team oversaw the coordinated European arrests.
“The arrests were carried out after an 11 month investigation in three different countries. By working together in this way we can tackle the abuse of European immigration systems,” he said. “Our investigation will continue with the evidence we have seized today,” he added. British Immigration Minister Mark Harper said that these arrests show that the UK Border Agency is very serious in cracking down on sham marriages nationwide.
“The message to those involved is now very clear. We will catch you and we will not hesitate to take the strongest possible action,” Harper said.