“Arranged” marriages: Romanian women involved in a fraud network in Italy. The leader of the group, a man from Kosovo, ended up behind bars
Romanian women were involved in a fake marriage network in Italy. The group was led by a 37-year-old Kosovar man who was sentenced to four years in prison for illegally obtaining residence permits and later Italian citizenship for Kosovar citizens.
Fake marriages in Italy PHOTO: archive, the truth
The trial took place in Ravenna, where the Public Prosecutor's Office had originally requested a sentence of 12 years, but some charges were time-barred and others were acquitted.
Investigators claim that Krasniqi acted as the leader of a well-organized system: Kosovars married Romanian women, often in the presence of close relatives, who were used as witnesses. In at least one case, a woman married twice in order to obtain multiple residence permits, writes Il Resto del Carlino.
The marriages misled the officials of Ravenna City Hall, who acted in good faith.
According to the cited source, Krasniqi was found guilty of violating the immigration law, as he obtained the legal entry of several Kosovars in exchange for sums of money of up to 17,000 euros or by offering rent. The investigation demonstrated that the activity had an organized structure and a clear leader.
A cousin of Krasniqi's, involved in a single incident, was acquitted because the statute of limitations had expired. Also, a Romanian woman involved in the network, who complained of pressure and threats to prevent her from separating from “husband of convenience”was acquitted of the blackmail charge.
The investigation started from a report from abroad about a suspicious marriage and led to the identification of several fake marriages. Two other people involved pleaded guilty and received eight-month sentences.
