LONDON: A Punjabi NRI couple based in UK, who made marriage a profitable business, helping illegal immigrants to skip immigration rules have been stripped of nearly 1 million pound of assets by a British court.

Jaswinder Gill (43) and her husband Darshan (42) arranged scores of bogus weddings for 10,000 pound a marriage. Isleworth Crown Court ordered the confiscation of 849,300 pound from Jaswinder and 130,000 pound from her husband.

 Gill, of Hayes, West London, was convicted in April of two counts of conspiring to assist unlawful entry into the UK, one count of assisting unlawful entry and of plotting to pervert the course of justice.

In 2005, Mrs Gill was imprisoned for 10 years by the same court for aiding illegal entry to the UK and perverting the course of justice.

Darshan, a subordinate to his wife’s will, was sentenced to six years for conspiring to facilitate illegal entry.

In their bizarre business, the couple conned young British Asian women into flying to India by offering them lucrative contracts modelling bridal wear. Once in India, the women found themselves marrying strangers desperate for a life in Britain.

A victim, who refused to go through with the plans, was left in a hotel room with two men and threatened with rape unless she co-operated. The couple ran their illegal business from their home in Hayes, West London, between 2000 and 2004.

While wealthy Indians paid the Gills up to 14,000 pound to set up the ceremonies, some of the bogus brides earned less than 1,000 pound.

Fifteen sham marriages were identified but detectives believe there were many more pointing to 325,000 pound that was channelled through two of the Gills’ bank accounts alone. They believe the couple arranged scores of bogus weddings, netting around #1 million.

Yesterday, the court heard that Gill earned at least 10,000 pound for each marriage she set up, and that the cash directly traceable to the marriages was 150,000 pound. The couple owned two homes and a string of expensive cars. They had transferred 496,000 pound to India and Jaswinder Gill’s bank account contained 250,000 pound. Jaswinder faces a further four years in jail if she fails to pay the 850,000 pound within 18 months.

Darshan faces an extra two years if he does not pay up in the same period