By Prasun Sonwalkar
A 'star' Pakistani cricketer has been jailed for 20 months for trying to falsely marry a British woman whom he had never met for the sole purpose of gaining permanent residency in the UK.
Published: Jul 06, 2012, 10:15 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 06, 2012, 10:15 PM (IST)
Javid Iqbal, described as a ‘star’, played for Holmfirth, Skelmanthorpe and Almondbury in the Drakes League © Getty Images
By Prasun Sonwalkar
London: Jul 6, 2012
A ‘star’ Pakistan cricketer has been jailed for 20 months for trying to falsely marry a British woman whom he had never met for the sole purpose of gaining permanent residency in the UK.
39-year-old Javid Iqbal, described as a ‘star’, played for Holmfirth, Skelmanthorpe and Almondbury in the Drakes League.
Iqbal arrived in the UK in 2008 and played for several minor country cricket teams.
He and four others, including the ‘bride’, pleaded guilty to attempting to commit a breach of immigration law.
The Home Office said Iqbal was part of the gang of five people who attempted to stage the marriage at Huddersfield Register Office last April.
The five have now been sentenced to jail at the Leeds Crown Court.
Officers from the UK Border Agency interrupted Iqbal’s ‘wedding’ after receiving information that it was a sham (bogus) marriage.
Three other people – British ‘bride’ Natalie Roberts and ‘guests’ Craig Hughes, (who is Roberts’ boyfriend) and fellow cricketer Mohammed Taj – were also arrested.
A fifth gang member, Salim Mullan, was arrested at a later date in Leicester.
Noting that Iqbal had been in the UK since 2008, the Home Office said that the bogus marriage was organised by Mullan, Taj and Hughes.
Iqbal paid 5,000 pounds to the fixers.
Roberts and Iqbal also pleaded guilty to perjury.
Steve Lamb, Acting Regional Director at the UK Border Agency said: “This case is an example of the seedy and desperate nature of immigration crime, with people entering into phoney marriages and cash changing hands simply to cheat the system.”
He added, “This gang showed a complete disregard for immigration law and the sentences handed out reflect the severity of the offence.”
Mullan, 58, was jailed for 32 months, while Taj, 42, for 18 months.
At an earlier hearing, Hughes, 31, was jailed for 18 months, while Roberts, 29, was given a two year community punishment order and a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement.
Jeremy Hill-Baker, lawyer for Iqbal, said his client was “deeply embarrassed” by his actions.
He said his visa was valid until April 2013 and had now lost his reputation and was 5,000 pounds out of pocket.
Iqbal did not realise the seriousness of arranging a marriage and was merely the customer and not the organiser, he said. (PTI)
