Till police do us part: Bride and groom taken away in handcuffs after officials raid 'sham wedding'
A 'bride and groom' were today led away in handcuffs by police and immigration officials who raided a wedding service as part of an investigation into sham marriages.
The pair were among seven members of a wedding party detained by around a dozen officers, including staff from the UK Border Agency (UKBA), at Leeds Town Hall.
A border agency spokesman said a 23-year-old Pakistani man and a 22-year-old Slovakian woman were arrested as they prepared to take their vows.
Under arrest: The bride, 22-year-old Slovakian (left) and the groom, who is from Pakistan, are led away from Leeds Town Hall after police raided the ceremony
Raid: The pair had been about to exchange their rows when they were arrested
Three other Pakistani men, aged 21, 23 and 32, and two other Slovakian women, aged 22 and 32, were detained for questioning, the UKBA said.
Officers have also searched several addresses today in Leeds in connection with the investigation.
Acting Detective Inspector Pete Gallagher, of the UKBA immigration crime team, said: 'We suspect that the sole purpose of this marriage would have been for the groom to avoid immigration controls and stay in the UK.
Shock: The bride is handcuffed before she is led away. A number of wedding guests were also arrested
UKBA regional director Jeremy Oppenheim said: 'The UK Border Agency will not tolerate immigration abuse and we are cracking down on sham marriages all over the country.
'Our aim is to identify the organisers who seek to profit from these illegal activities and destroy their criminal operations.
'We work closely with registrars and vicars to identify marriages that may not be genuine and we will not hesitate to take the strongest possible action against those involved in arranging sham marriages.'
Crackdown: A border official checks documents as the bridegroom waits. He was later taken away for questioning .
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