As investigations unfold in Cyprus, Portugal, and Latvia under the auspices of Europol, the network of a large international sham marriage ring, centered around Cyprus, is being unraveled.
So far, 15 individuals have been arrested (13 in Cyprus), while the mastermind of the scheme and 19 others are wanted, believed to be within the territory of the Republic.
Some of the suspects, apprehended by the Larnaca CID, are allegedly involved in a total of 133 sham marriages conducted in Cyprus, involving women and men from Portugal and Latvia, as well as nationals from third countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Grooms and witnesses at the weddings seemingly swapped roles, raising questions about the municipal authorities who officiated them.
The investigations into the case have been ongoing for months, and on Monday, January 29, the three countries conducted a simultaneous European operation under the code name “Operational Task Force Limassol,” with Cyprus taking the lead.
The information provided to Cypriot authorities came from Portugal in November 2020.
According to this information, women and men from Portugal and Latvia were travelling to Cyprus and conducting sham marriages with foreigners, aiming to secure residency permits in the Republic and later travel to other European countries.
An investigative team was established in Cyprus for this serious case, which managed to collect evidence for 133 sham marriages, 107 of which were reportedly performed at the Aradippou Municipality, 25 at the Nicosia Municipality, and one at the Livadia Municipality.
Investigations at the Municipalities revealed that some of the foreign nationals officiating the weddings were subsequently witnesses in weddings.
The international network seems to have operated on a pyramid scheme system, recruiting individuals to recruit others, with payments varying according to each person’s involvement.
Third-country nationals wishing to marry reportedly paid, according to testimonies from brides, up to €10,000 for each marriage.
Apart from the alleged Indian mastermind of the scheme, against whom a European arrest warrant was issued, two women and two men are believed to have played pivotal roles, arrested both in Cyprus and abroad.
One of these is the wife of the alleged Indian mastermind, who appears to have recruited brides and grooms from Portugal.
Two Indians arrested in Cyprus, aged 25 and 37, reportedly sent various sums to her to secure freedom certificates for the brides and grooms.
Another significant aspect under scrutiny by Cypriot investigators is the submission of forged documents to the Immigration and Aliens Service.
When brides and grooms arrived in Cyprus, they allegedly submitted fake rental documents to an officer of the Immigration and Aliens Service, in order to convince them that they were living together with their spouses.
Additionally, they submitted employment agreements with various employers, believed to be fake, as well as insurance documents.
The insurance documents were issued by a specific office in Nicosia, where the foreign spouse of a woman who is alleged to have recruited brides from Latvia worked as an insurance agent.
This woman was also arrested last Monday.
Thirty-three brides were questioned in the case, who reportedly admitted in their testimonies that their marriages were a sham.
According to their own accounts, they were picked up from Larnaca and Paphos airports by the two Indians who are currently under arrest and were given instructions on what to say to the Municipalities and the services transporting them.
The 13 suspects in Cyprus were remanded in custody until February 7 by the Larnaca District Court.
