Immigration crimefighters have pledged that abuse of the system will not be tolerated, as seven Bradford people wait to be sentenced for a fake marriages scam.
Four women and three men, along with two men from Leeds, could be facing custody when they are sentenced next month, after a UK Border Agency investigation uncovered fake weddings between Slovakian brides and Pakistani grooms.
Eva Facunova, 32, of Vivian Place, Little Horton; Zlatica Holubova, 29, and Lukas Murgos, 22, both of Brompton Road, East Bowling, and Syed Gardezi, 21, of Lambton Terrace, Harehills, Leeds, were all found guilty at Leeds Crown Court last week of conspiracy to breach immigration laws.
Maria Racova, 22, and Ivana Holubova, 23, both of Brompton Road, East Bowling; Farrukh Khan, 24, and Muhammad Mughal, 32, both of Hartman Place, Toller Lane, and Muhammad Usman, 24, of Lambton Terrace, Leeds, had already pleaded guilty to the charge.
Judge James Spencer QC warned the defendants that all sentencing options remained open, including prison.
The UK Border Agency’s regional director, Jeremy Oppenheim, said “The UK Border Agency will not tolerate immigration abuse and our dedicated crime teams will continue to work to make life as tough as possible for those who seek to break the rules.”
Read more on this story in today's T&A
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