14 foreigners from India and Pakistan were referred to a direct trial before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca for the large international scheme of conducting 133 sham marriages, which had Cyprus as its focal point.
Two of the accused, two Indians aged 25 and 37, who are alleged to have had a pivotal role in the network, face more serious charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, participation in an illegal organization, forgery, and money laundering from illegal activities, among others.
The remaining 12 accused, 11 grooms and one bride, who are alleged to have entered into sham marriages to secure residency permits in our country, face, among other charges, conspiracy to commit a crime, forgery, and willful marriage.
The referral process of the 14 accused was lengthy, as their defense lawyers objected to their detention.
Twenty individuals are sought for the case, including a 44-year-old from Pakistan who is alleged to be the mastermind behind the scheme, as well as a Cypriot who appears to be the owner of three of the companies registered as employers.
Police investigations revealed that the phone numbers of this particular individual appeared as phones of non-existent companies, which purportedly employed Europeans coming to Cyprus to conduct sham marriages.
Meanwhile, it is expected that the wife of the alleged mastermind will arrive from Portugal within the day, having been extradited to Cyprus.
This woman was arrested on January 29 as part of a pan-European operation, allegedly recruiting brides and grooms from Portugal who came to Cyprus to perform sham marriages.
A request has also been submitted to the Latvian authorities for the extradition of a woman who is alleged to have recruited brides from that country for a fee.
Police investigations are ongoing, and a large volume of documents believed to be forged and deposited by the alleged couples at the Department of Foreigners and Immigration is under scrutiny.
Furthermore, the involvement of an individual in a law firm in Nicosia, which is alleged to have facilitated 70 sham marriages at the Aradippou Municipality, is being investigated, as well as a travel agency that allegedly issued dozens of fake health insurance policies.
