Sham marriage ring exposed

[lauhumku]

Sham marriage ring exposed
Matchmaking agency under probe
By Crystal Chan

In the first case of its kind here, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is investigating a matchmaking agency for brokering sham marriages between China women and local men.

Two ICA investigators, Deputy Officer Commanding (Dy OC) Tay Siang Kwang and Senior Officer Lau Eng Choon, revealed details of the case in an exclusive interview with The New Paper on Sunday.

Dy OC Tay said the sister of a sham husband went to ICA in January last year to clarify that he had not lost his NRIC. He said: "She said she had kept his NRIC as he was of unsound mind. So she was puzzled when ICA wrote to him to say that his replacement NRIC was ready."

Smelling a rat, Dy OC Tay and Officer Lau swung into action.

They learnt that Huang Linjin, 30, a mainland Chinese woman, had listed the man as her husband and sponsor for a long-term social visit pass. It was coming up for renewal and his IC was needed for that.

Registry of Marriages records showed Huang and the man had solemnised their marriage in December 2008. On a hunch that the marriage could be a sham, the investigators began their probe.

 

[SwineHunter]

Couples involved in sham marriages
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Huang Linjin was jailed for 10 weeks.​

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ICA investigators smelled a rat when they met the Chinese national's "husband" and realised the mentally unsound man couldn't even talk coherently.​

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Liao Fenglian, 42, was jailed for two months. She was "introduced" to her "husband" through the same matchmaker.


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Tan Kim Haut, 45 was jailed for six months. He was paid $3,000 to marry the woman.​

 

[SwineHunter]

Couples involved in sham marriages
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​

Huang Linjin was jailed for 10 weeks.​

​

ICA investigators smelled a rat when they met the Chinese national's "husband" and realised the mentally unsound man couldn't even talk coherently.​

​

Liao Fenglian, 42, was jailed for two months. She was "introduced" to her "husband" through the same matchmaker.


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Tan Kim Haut, 45 was jailed for six months. He was paid $3,000 to marry the woman.​

 

[SwineHunter]

Huang Jinyun, 38 is missing. Her passport has been impounded.

Tan Taw Kit was paid $2,500 for the sham marriage. He was jailed for two months.

Du Ximei, 33, went missing last December. Each Chinese national had paid the matchmaker 40,000 yuan (S$8,000) to arrange the marriage.

Yeo Chwee Heng, 64, a road sweeper, told the investigator he agreed to the sham marriages as he had financial difficulties. He was jailed for two months.


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