The racket involved Indian men and women marrying British citizens of Indian descent, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Alleged ringleaders Salim Mullan, 50, from Leicester and Ibrahim Umarji, 66, from East Ham, London, admitted helping illegal immigrants enter the country.

The pair should be sentenced with 24 co-conspirators on Friday.

Bogus documents

A sentencing hearing was told one of the bogus brides connected with the case married as many as six men over a five-year period.

A total of 36 weddings took place, with some taking place in England and some in India.

Bogus documents were then produced to prove employment details, addresses, tenancy agreements and bank details, the court was told.

If approved by the authorities, the clients would be allowed the stay in the country initially for one year.

Bride and groom

After that, they could apply to settle in the UK indefinitely.

When the Indian national was still living in India, the so-called "stooges" would fly out for a wedding there.

The "bride and groom" would have to apply to the British Deputy High Commission in India to get permission for the newlywed Indian national to enter the UK.

John Tini, prosecuting, said the co-conspirators fell into three groups - the organisers, the bogus bride and groom and the Indian nationals who paid "substantial sums" for a sham marriage.