A 33-YEAR-OLD man is to be removed from the country after being arrested for his part in sham marriages.

The man, who was living in Blackburn, was in the UK illegally and was part of a group of eight men from Pakistan and India caught moments before six false wedding ceremonies were about to take place at Gretna Register Office.

Five of those arrested were would-be grooms and three others were guests who were due to attend the weddings.

The other men had travelled to the Scottish town from areas including Bradford, Manchester, Southall and Wolverhampton.

Six of the men have been detained pending their removal from the UK, while the remaining two must report regularly to the Home Office while their pending immigration cases are concluded.

The intended brides, from the Czech Republic, Romania and the UK, were interviewed and released.

The action was part of a swoop by Home Office immigration officers.

Anna Beattie, from the Home Office immigration enforcement team, said: “Anyone in the UK illegally and seeking to evade our immigration laws should take heed of this latest operation.

“Expect to be caught by us and removed from the UK.

“The Home Office is working with colleagues at registration offices throughout Scotland and receives intelligence from a wide variety of sources.”

A sham marriage or civil partnership typically occurs when a non-European national marries someone from the European Economic Area as a means of attempting to gain long-term residency and the right to work and claim benefits in the UK.