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Jail for gang who operated “cash for brides” immigration scam (22 March 2017)

Date: 22/03/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Jail for gang who operated “cash for brides” immigration scam

Croydon Crown Court has jailed a gang which flew Lithuanian women into the UK to act as brides in bogus marriages.

Ringleaders Lina Kezelyte, 33, and Mohemmed Jemaldeen, 33, acted as matchmakers between the brides and their grooms – who were men from South Asian and West African countries, who had tried and failed to get visas to remain in the UK by other means.

By paying the gang to arrange for them to marry women from Lithuania – an EU nation – the men could claim residency in the UK.

The gang arranged for 26 Lithuanian brides to wed men from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nigeria and Nepal – and made an estimated £315,000 as a result.

Valentina Kezeliene, 53 laundered money and booked the flights, while three others helped move money and attended the fake weddings.

In October 2013, a wedding ceremony was interrupted by immigration officers and the bride and groom were arrested and subsequently charged and convicted.

A wedding guest – Beata Jarmolovic, 28 – had a camera containing photos of six separate weddings, but with brides and bridesmaids swapping roles.

CPS London reviewing lawyer Robert Hutchinson said:

“This gang made large amounts of money conducting sham marriages as part of an immigration scam involving flying Lithuanian women to the UK.

“The prosecution case involved looking at suspicious bank transfers, hundreds of flight bookings made for Lithuanian women – and forensic analysis of a seized laptop containing crib sheets of questions likely to be asked in immigration interviews.

“We showed that the claim made by Lina Kezelyte that this was a legitimate international dating agency did not stand up to scrutiny.

“This case shows that anyone who tries to circumvent UK immigration law in this way will face prosecution with a strong case put before the court.”


Lina Kezelyte, 33, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment, after being found guilty of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

Mohemmed Jemaldeen, 33, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, after being tried and sentenced in his absence for conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

Valentina Kezeliene, 53, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment, after being found guilty of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

Ruta Sperskaite, 25, was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, after being found guilty of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

Renato Semasko, 53, is due to be sentenced at a later date, after being found guilty of converting criminal proceeds.

Beata Jarmolovic, 28, was handed an 18-month prison sentence, after being found guilty of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

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