Video: Border police arrest Czech bride and Pakistani groom at Halifax wedding

IMMIGRATION officers halted a suspected sham wedding in West Yorkshire as guests looked on.

Officials swooped just as the Czech bride and her Pakistani groom were about to say their vows at a register office.

They entered the ceremony at Spring Hall Mansion, Halifax, as adults and children sat in their seats watching.

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The bride and groom were led away in handcuffs on Wednesday, the marriage suspected of being bogus.

The bride, aged 22 and living in Halifax, and the 28-year-old groom from Watford were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to assist unlawful entry into the UK.

The groom is believed to have been in the country illegally on an expired visa.

The bride’s mother, 42, and father, 47 – both witnesses at the ceremony – were also arrested.

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All four were taken to Halifax police station where they were being questioned last night.

Around 20 officers from the UK Border Agency were involved in the operation. The team investigate organised immigration crime such as sham marriages.

They typically occur when a non-European national marries someone from an EU country in a bid to gain long-term residency, along with the right to work and claim benefits here.

Jeremy Oppenheim, regional director of the UK Border Agency, said: “We work closely with registrars and vicars to identify marriages that may not be genuine.

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“We will not hesitate to take the strongest possible action against those involved in arranging sham marriages.

“We have dedicated crime teams working to stop those who seek to dodge immigration rules.

“Our aim is to identify the organisers who seek to profit from these illegal activities and destroy their criminal operations.”

The Halifax raid was the second suspected sham wedding to be halted in the town in five months.

An Asian groom and a Polish bride, arrested in March, have admitted conspiracy to assist unlawful entry into the UK and are awaiting sentence.

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