Singapore has arrested six female Vietnamese and seven male Singaporeans, aged between 22 and 32, for suspected marriage of convenience related offenses, according to Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

Each person was handed between one and 12 charges under Singapore’s Immigration Act.

The Vietnamese women include Ngo Thi Thanh, 28; Hu Gia Phan, 30; Nguyen Thi Thuy Quyen, 30; Tran Ngoc Phuong Thao, 31; Nguyen Thi Minh Trang, 32; and Nguyen Thi Thu Giang, 32.

Four out of the seven Singaporean suspects were reportedly given between 8,000 SGD (US$5,920) and 18,000 SGD (US$13,322) each to enter into such marriages.

Two others were supposed to have received or been offered cash amounts but the amounts were not revealed.

The remaining Singaporean man was reported to have arranged three such marriages.

He also helped three Vietnamese women obtain a visit pass each between January 2023 and February 2024.

The 13 suspects were nabbed in an enforcement operation on Wednesday, when the ICA conducted simultaneous raids on public and private residential premises in multiple locations in Singapore, according to the authority.

The arrests were the outcome of investigations into a suspected syndicate arranging marriages of convenience.

Apart from the probe into their marriage of convenience related offenses, Singaporean authorities will also investigate possible false declaration offenses in their visit pass applications.

In Singapore, the penalties for marriage of convenience related offenses are a fine not exceeding 10,000 SGD (US$7,400) or a jail term not surpassing 10 years, or both.

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