Macao police nab 7 for 'fake marriage' deals

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-12 14:53

MACAO: Macao police have arrested four women from Zhuhai city and three male local residents for their alleged fake marriage deals, the local Macao Post Daily reported Thursday.

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The suspects, aged between 22 and 64, were apprehended after the police had been tipped off about their case in mid-September, the newspaper quoted the Judiciary Police (PJ) as saying.

According to the PJ spokesman, all of the female suspects are surnamed Liang. One of the female suspects married a mentally disabled man 10 years ago and is now a permanent local resident. The other female suspects married the male suspects in the mainland before applying for Macao ID card in 2004, 2006 and 2007, respectively.

The spokesman said the female suspects aimed to use the bogus marriage deals to gain residency in Macao, due to the higher salaries and greater job opportunities available here compared to Zhuhai.

The suspects have been transferred to the Public Prosecution for further investigations and possible arraignment on document forgery charges. They face jail terms ranging from two to eight years if found guilty of document forgery.