After a five-month investigation, the Immigration Department has busted a syndicate that was arranging bogus marriages for mainlanders to obtain Hong Kong residency. Raiding more than 70 locations, the police arrested 59 suspects between the ages of 21 and 58, including the “mastermind”.
The suspects were arrested for the offences of “conspiracy to defraud” and “aiding and abetting others in making false representation to immigration officers”. So far, 18 of the arrested have been charged and nine have been convicted. The police say more arrests may be made as the investigation is ongoing.
It is believed that the syndicate was behind at least 80 fake marriages, costing each mainlander between RMB60,000 to RMB100,000 (HKD76,000 to HKD126,000). At least the Hongkongers got to marry someone rich!
The entire syndicate operation netted around HKD10 million.
During the raids, police also found a number of official records, like marriage certificates from both the mainland and Hong Kong, and birth certificates. Life pro tip: don’t get involved in crimes that requires criminals to keep documents that detail all of your personal information.
Before you start thinking of bogus marriages as a viable business plan (or as a convenient shortcut around the immigration bureaucracy), remember that “any person who for the purpose of procuring a marriage, or a certificate or license for marriage, knowingly and wilfully makes a false oath or makes or signs a false declaration” can be punished by imprisonment for seven years and a fine.
Photo: Hong Chang Bum via Flickr
