Eastern Europeans sentenced for sham wedding scam

12 April 2012

Three men and four women will be sentenced today for their roles in operating a sham marriage industry.

The Eastern European-organised crime group headed by Vladimir Murko staged 15 bogus marriages involving illegal Nigerian, Pakistani and Syrian immigrants across north-west England and in London from October 2006.

The immigrants handed over £1,500 each to secure their stay in Britain by allowing them to obtain a National Insurance number and then either work or claim benefits.

It was discovered following his arrest that Murko, 37, of Bolton, had run up casino debts of £60,000 despite not having a legitimate source of income.

The defendants - six Czechs and one Slovak - had the right to live in the UK as European citizens.

Murko and his friends and relatives acted as brides or grooms for those individuals who were desperate to stay in the UK, or as witnesses to the proceedings. Some of the marriages were bigamous.

Marriages took place at Church of England churches in Manchester, Stockport, Liverpool and London, and also at Bolton Register Office.

All the institutions were deceived by the defendants who made false declarations they were free to marry and swore false affidavits on occasion. Fake addresses and other false documents were provide to authenticate the "relationships".

The gang's activities were eventually discovered by the UK Border Agency in conjunction with the North West Immigration Crime Team and police raided a number of addresses in Bolton, Manchester and Liverpool in February.

Murko and his partner, Aneta Belova, 26, both of Stansfield Close, Tonge Fold; his brother Roman Murko, 32, and partner Nela Ginova, 23, both of Church Avenue, Daubhill, Bolton; and his friends Pavel More, 43, of Southfield Street, Burnden, Bolton, Petra Cinova, 26, of Galloway Street, Liverpool, and Monika Lakatosova, 30, of Charlesworth Avenue, Great Lever, Bolton, all pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiring to assist illegal immigration.

Sentencing takes place at Manchester Crown Court from 2.15pm.

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