Sham marriage couple jailed after being caught by registrar

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22699010

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A sham marriage couple have been jailed after the would-be bride was seen by a registrar holding hands with her real boyfriend.

Svetlana Kokenyova, 20, who was to be paid £3,000, and Ali Ansar, 25, had gone to a register office at Llandudno to give notice of their wedding.

But Caernarfon Crown Court heard she and partner Vladimir Bango were later seen hand-in-hand in the car park.

Ansar was jailed for 14 months, Bango 12 months and Kokenyova 10 months.

The court heard when the wedding party from Manchester returned to the register office - the bride and groom both arriving more than 40 minutes late - the Border Agency was waiting for them.

The prosecution said the aim was to enable Ansar, a student in the country illegally, to remain in Britain.

They admitted conspiring to facilitate a breach of immigration law.

Three other men, Parvez Tabassam, 50, Pervaiz Iqbal, 41, Abip Aslam, 37, who organised the would-be sham marriage were jailed for between 16 months and 21 months after admitting the same offence.