To a casual observer they looked like a devoted couple excited about their big day.
The teenage bride arrived wearing a flowing layered white dress with a satin veil covering her head.
Meanwhile the groom wore his best suit, a smart bow tie and a red flower in his lapel.
But as they waited in a side room in the registry office, they were unaware that the registrar suspected their marriage was a sham.
Moments before their ceremony was due to start, plain clothes police and immigration officers burst through the doors and arrested the 19-year-old Polish bride-to-be and Indian 'groom' Amrit Singh Dhanju, 30, on suspicion of perjury.
Detectives also arrested two witnesses on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration.
Bystanders watched in astonishment as the group were led away in handcuffs into unmarked cars from Oxfordshire Register Office in Oxford.
A female officer had to help the bride with her veil and train as she was led towards a people carrier with blacked out windows.
Onlooker Maurice Walker, 54, said: 'It looked like something out of a Hollywood movie. The bride was certainly blushing when she was taken away in handcuffs.
'You don't see a bride and groom leave their wedding in a police car everyday. It was extraordinary.'
The union first aroused the suspicion of the registrar when the couple met her for a meeting to discuss the wedding ahead of the big day.
Suspecting the marriage to be a sham she called immigration officers and the trap was set.
A source close to the investigation said: 'Couples have to meet the registrar before they marry to give notice of the marriage.
'Registrars speak to couples day in day out and they can spot when something doesn't seem quite right.
'On the day itself the couple in question were taken into side room. This is the usual practice and it allows officials to make sure neither party are drunk or are being coerced into the union.
'On this occasion it was a stalling exercise while the police officers got into position. Registrars are keen to help because in their eyes sham marriages cheapen the process.'
Singh Dhanju was charged today with two counts of perjury and remanded into custody amid fears he could disappear if granted bail.
His 'bride', a 19-year-old Polish woman from Oxford, who has not been named, was given a police caution for perjury.
Police had been tipped off by registry office staff who believed the marriage was suspicious
A 47-year-old British man was bailed pending further enquiries and a second Polish woman was released without charge.
The arrests were made on the same day the Government announced a major crackdown on bogus marriages.
The number of sham weddings in the UK soared to 529 last year - a 54per cent rise on the 2008 figure.
The UK Border Agency believes the tightening of immigration controls, the economic climate and efforts to clamp down on illegal workers are to blame.
An increasing number of EU citizens are marrying non-EU foreigners to help them settle in the country and enjoy the same rights as British nationals.
Last year 38,000 immigrants were granted spousal visas lasting two years. Another 21,000 were given the right to stay indefinitely.
Officers from Thames Valley Police were joined by officials from the UK Border Agency during the raid on Tuesday afternoon.
Two houses in Oxford were also raided as part of an ongoing investigation into sham marriages.
Oxfordshire County Council, which runs the registry service in the county, confirmed it had tipped off immigration officials.
Spokesman Marcus Mabberley said: 'A report was made by us to the UK Border Agency about concerns regarding a potential sham marriage.
'Oxfordshire County Council registration service takes such matters extremely seriously and we have a statutory duty to report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.'
Terry Gibbs, of the UK Border Agency, said it 'is committed to striking at the heart of illegal immigration and tackling those who attempt to break the rules'.
'If we suspect a marriage is not genuine, we will take action.
A 47-year-old British man was bailed pending further enquiries and a second Polish woman was released without charge.
The arrests were made on the same day the Government announced a major crackdown on bogus marriages.
The number of sham weddings in the UK soared to 529 last year - a 54per cent rise on the 2008 figure.
The UK Border Agency believes the tightening of immigration controls, the economic climate and efforts to clamp down on illegal workers are to blame.
An increasing number of EU citizens are marrying non-EU foreigners to help them settle in the country and enjoy the same rights as British nationals.
Last year 38,000 immigrants were granted spousal visas lasting two years. Another 21,000 were given the right to stay indefinitely.
Officers from Thames Valley Police were joined by officials from the UK Border Agency during the raid on Tuesday afternoon.
Two houses in Oxford were also raided as part of an ongoing investigation into sham marriages.
Oxfordshire County Council, which runs the registry service in the county, confirmed it had tipped off immigration officials.
Spokesman Marcus Mabberley said: 'A report was made by us to the UK Border Agency about concerns regarding a potential sham marriage.
'Oxfordshire County Council registration service takes such matters extremely seriously and we have a statutory duty to report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.'
Terry Gibbs, of the UK Border Agency, said it 'is committed to striking at the heart of illegal immigration and tackling those who attempt to break the rules'.
'If we suspect a marriage is not genuine, we will take action.
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