The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) arrested six Vietnamese women and seven Singaporean men on Jun. 5 for their suspected involvement in marriage of convenience-related offences during an operation.

The arrests were a result of an ICA investigation into a suspected syndicate that arranges sham marriages, according to ICA in a news release.

The 13 individuals, aged between 22 and 32 years, will also be investigated for possible false declaration offences in their visit pass applications.

The operation involved simultaneous raids covering public and private residential premises in multiple locations in Singapore.

"ICA takes a serious view of individuals trying to circumvent our system by engaging in or arranging/ assisting to arrange MOCs to obtain immigration facilities in Singapore," the agency said.

They also urged the public to report suspected sham marriages or immigration-related offences via an online form on its website.

Those found guilty can be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to 10 years, or both.

Top photo via ICA's Facebook and Samantha Gades/Unsplash