French authorities dismantle sham marriage ring in Île-de-France

Authorities in the Île-de-France region have dismantled a large-scale sham marriage network following an alert from the Orsay town hall in Essonne. The investigation, which began in December after municipal officials noticed inconsistencies during marriage interviews, led to the arrest of 13 suspects.

Investigators identified a 40-year-old Algerian national as the alleged leader of the ring. Despite being under a French territory ban, he is suspected of managing the operation from Portugal. He and his brother-in-law have been placed in pre-trial detention, with a trial expected in late November.

The network reportedly recruited women via social media, paying them between 2,000 and 6,000 euros to act as fake spouses. In exchange, clients paid fees ranging from 7,000 to as much as 30,000 euros to obtain residency papers through fraudulent civil status documents.