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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2606803/Ringleader-gang-organising-visa-weddings-cash-jailed-caught-OWN-fake-marriage.html Click here to print Ringleader of gang organising visa weddings for cash jailed after being caught at his OWN fake marriageHarpal Singh, 51, made £5,000 a time setting up bogus marriages Registry officials didn't believe validity of Singh's divorce documents He was already married, but wanted a sham marriage after visa denial Arrested on the morning of his sham marriage at Cardiff Register Office Singh, of Forest Gate, London, has been jailed for four years and 20 weeks By Jill Reilly Published: 12:15, 17 April 2014 | Updated: 15:06, 17 April 2014 SHARE PICTURE +6 Harpal Singh, 51, made £5,000 each time he set up bogus marriages between East European woman and Asian students A ringleader in charge of organising sham weddings across Britain was jailed today after being caught at his own fake marriage. Harpal Singh, 51, made £5,000 each time he set up bogus marriages between East European woman and Asian students whose visas were running out. Singh, from Forest Gate, east London, set up weddings with Czech women living in Britain - because their EU citizenship would allow their new husbands to live in the UK. But a court heard his criminal network was uncovered by police when he was stopped from going through with his own fake marriage. And he was discovered carrying a bag full of other people's identity cards and 'marriage packs'. Prosecutor Andrew Davies said: 'Singh would arrange marriages for Pakistani, Indian and Nepalese men who were either about to have visas run out or had overstayed. 'He would arrange for them to marry Czech women who had EU residency and therefore could confer this to any husbands. 'As far as we can ascertain he arranged four sham weddings - one of which was his own. 'The men would pay him to facilitate the marriage and the Czech women would be paid to get married to provide EU citizenship.' Cardiff Crown Court heard Indian-born Singh entered Britain in 2006 on a six month visa with his wife and three children. SHARE PICTURE +6 SHARE PICTURE +6 Czech woman Romana Nistrova, 23, agreed to enter into a sham marriage organised by Singh after getting into financial difficulties But after two failed immigration applications in 2009 and 2011 he was caught trying to marry a Czech woman at Cardiff Register Office in May last year. Singh was caught out after registry officials did not believe his divorce documents were genuine - and he was arrested on the morning of his sham marriage. Mr Davies said: 'He had two bags with him which had a number of other people's documents and passports in them. 'Some were related to sham marriages we could identify and others we could not. 'He retained the ID documents and cards of participants to encourage them to pay the money and go through with the sham marriages.' SHARE PICTURE +6 SHARE PICTURE +6 Pakistani student Haider Ali, 23 who had paid Harpal Singh £4950 to arrange a sham marriage 11 days before his visa ran out - he was jailed for 12 months. Right, Romana Nistrova, who is currently four months pregnant, was given a 12 month suspended prison sentence The documents in his bag led to the arrest of two Pakistani students and a Czech woman who were planning to enter into sham marriages organised by Singh. They sat next to Singh in the dock and all four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to avoid immigration enforcement action by deception. The bogus marriages were due to go ahead in registry offices around the UK - in Cardiff, Leeds and Motherwell. The court heard Pakistani student Haider Ali, 23, had paid Singh £4,950 to arrange a marriage to take place 11 days before his student visa ran out. Ali, from Surrey, was due to marry a pregnant 19-year-old Czech woman called Jesika Horvatova who has since gone on the run. Another Pakistani student Awais Ahmad, 23, had been in the UK for four years when his student visa was running out. SHARE PICTURE +6 At Cardiff Crown Court Judge Neil Bidder QC told the four: 'These actions are an attack on the proper system of immigration control and also the institution of marriage' Ahmad from south London, was due to enter into his sham marriage a month before his visa ran out. Czech woman Romana Nistrova, 23, agreed to enter into a sham marriage organised by Singh after getting into financial difficulties. Nistrova, from Birmingham, came to the UK with her mother and five siblings in 2006 and is currently four months pregnant. Judge Neil Bidder QC told the four: 'These actions are an attack on the proper system of immigration control and also the institution of marriage. 'You, Singh, planned to make money by exploiting people's desires to remain in the country and preyed on women's financial hardship. 'Ali and Ahmad deliberately intended to avoid immigration controls to remain in the UK when lawful efforts had failed. 'And it is really very surprising to most people that women could contemplate going through a marriage ceremony for financial gain. 'It is a shameful thing that you did - a truly shameful thing.' Judge Bidder gave Nistrova a 12 month suspended prison sentence and ordered she complete 100 hours community work. He sentenced Ahmad and Ali both to 12 months in prison - and they walked free from court after serving six months in custody while waiting to be sentenced. Judge Bidder jailed Singh for four years and 20 weeks. He told Singh: 'It is my view that you should be deported.' 1 of 6 Romana Nistrova, 23 who agreed to enter into a sham marriage organised by Singh after getting into financial difficulties Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group © Associated Newspapers Ltd Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2606803/Ringleader-gang-organising-visa-weddings-cash-jailed-caught-OWN-fake-marriage.html#ixzz2zAvQzBRN Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook