More than 40 residential and business premises across the State have been raided by about 200 gardaí in a crackdown on criminal gangs arranging sham marriages.

By 12pm on Wednesday, 11 people had been arrested for offences under the Immigration Act and Criminal Justice Act. Gardaí also seized computers, memory devices, phones, false identity documents, driving licences and marriage certificates as well as a stun gun and €30,000 in cash.

There has been a large increase in the number of marriages of convenience taking place in Ireland involving men from the Indian sub-continent and women from Portugal and Eastern Europe, An Garda Síochána has said.

An operation set up in August has identified a number of criminal networks based in Ireland and the UK who are facilitating these marriages by providing false information and documentation to marriage registrars.

Gardaí say these networks are “exploiting the asylum and immigration system” and “gleaning huge profits by organising residency status for non-EU nationals through these marriages of convenience”.

Legislation enacted on August 18th gives marriage registrars new powers to consider whether a union is one of convenience, ie entered into for immigration advantages.

Since then, 55 formal objections to pending marriages have been made through Operation Vantage and 22 people have been arrested and charged. A further 30 marriages between EU/non-EU nationals have not proceeded as both parties failed to show following Garda enquires.

Gardaí said criminals are charging non-EU nationals up to €20,000 for arranging a marriage to an EU partner in Ireland. For this fee they are managing all aspects of the marriage including the recruitment and transport of an EU national spouse, the production of false documents, assistance in the procurement of PPS numbers, the notification and registration of the marriage and the subsequent application for EU residency.

In a statement, An Garda Síochána said there was some concern that vulnerable EU nationals were being brought to Ireland under false pretences for the purposes of marriages of convenience.

Detective chief superintendant Dowling of the Garda National Immigration Bureau said: “An Garda Síochána will continue to proactively work with all the relevant agencies to detect and investigate any criminality in relation to the immigration system, particularly in regards to marriages of convenience being used for the purposes of securing an immigration advantage. This is the first phase of what will likely be a long term operation”.