A SUSPICIOUS Kent registrar helped expose a bogus marriage racket which netted a 'manipultive, greedy and ruthless’ woman £1million.

Jaswinder Gill, who was this week jailed for 10 years, bypassed immigration controls by recruiting unsuspecting young women to marry Indian men - by grooming them or pretending they were extras in a film.

Failed asylum seekers are believed to have paid 41-year-old Gill thousands for the arranged marriages to British girls - some who had no idea they were part of a genuine wedding ceremony.

But one Gravesend registrar became suspicious when Gill, of Hillingdon, West London attempted the charade at the Kent town’s register office.

The observant registrar was not convinced the marriage was genuine after quizzing one bride-to-be who eventually 'fluffed her lines’ - and she was arrested.

A spokesman for Gravesend register office’s service, A Kentish Wedding, said registrars were trained to be vigilant and always alert immigration if concerned.

The spokesman added: “In this case they were obviously vigilant in preventing a sham marriage and acted in the best possible way to help bring this couple to justice.”

A Metropolitan Police investigation uncovered the full extent of the sham.

Gill worked with her husband Dharshan, 40, by scouring places like shopping centres to find their victims, who were promised modelling jobs.

Many were taken to India where they were married off to total strangers, allowing the grooms to enter Britain. Wealthy Indians paid up to £14,000 per marriage.

Although police know the couple earned £325,000 and arranged at least 15 marriages, the force stated this was the “tip of the iceberg” and believe the scam that ran between 2000 and 2004 could have netted them up to £1 million in total.

To boost their profits further, the couple started holding sham marriages in British register offices.

Det Sgt Gerri Mannion from the Metropolitan Police people smuggling unit spearheaded Operation Maxim.

She said: “These marriages were a charade - arranged between perfect strangers who were coached by Jaswinder to convince registrars of their intentions to live as man and wife in the UK.”

Police arrested the bride and brought the couple’s lavish lifestyle crashing down.

Sentencing Jaswinder Gill at Isleworth Crown Court, Judge Sam Katkhuda told her she was “alien to the truth” and had lied throughout her trial.

He said: “You were involved in a systematic selection of naive, inexperienced, vulnerable young girls.

“You influenced and persuaded each of them in one way or another to take part in fake marriages in order to breach the provisions of UK immigration law.”

Prosecutor Robin Johnson called Jaswinder manipulative and domineering. He said: “Jaswinder Gill was the supremo in this enterprise, a manipulative and domineering woman motivated by greed.

“Mrs Gill felt that the immigration laws provided ample opportunity for the criminal entrepreneur.”

Gill’s counsel, Roy Brown, claimed in mitigation that she was “deeply remorseful” but the judge dismissed her sobbing in the dock as 'crocodile tears.’

Jaswinder Gill admitted two charges of conspiring to assist illegal entry into the UK. The jury convicted her of a further charge of assisting unlawful entry and a fourth charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice after she tried to prevent witnesses from giving evidence against her.

She was sentenced to the maximum penalty.

But her husband Darshan was “subordinate to his wife’s will” and the junior partner in the scam, the judge said.

He was jailed for six years after admitting the two conspiracy charges.

Outside the court Det Sgt Mannion said: "Gill ruthlessly manipulated vulnerable young women into taking part in these sham marriages, motivated by her greed and personal financial gain.

"I don't think we will ever know the true extent of her activities and how many people were involved in sham marriages."