A criminal organisation which was falsifying documents for Moroccan citizens allowing them to work and stay irregularly in Spain has been dismantled by the Spanish National Police.
In order to enter and remain in Spain, Moroccans paid about €3,000 to this organisation, while it has been reported that the total profit of this group is about €150,000, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
“They presented documentation of affiliation as descendants of Spanish Sahrawis falsified by an official of the Civil Registry of the Moroccan city of Assa at the immigration offices. Two people have been arrested in Navarra for belonging to a criminal organisation, favouring irregular immigration and document falsification, and also four people for document falsification, in Navarra (2), Almería (1), and Tarragona (1),” the statement issued by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior reads.
According to the Ministry, the applications for the residence of family ties had some similarities, even though they were submitted in different provinces. At the same time, during their processing, it was discovered that the identity documents had been issued in the Moroccan city of Assa.
National Police officers after contacting their Moroccan counterparts confirmed that the official data did not correspond to those submitted by Moroccan citizens. As a result, the Moroccan police managed to arrest the Registry official for falsifying documents.
In addition, during the investigations, it was discovered that about 50 Moroccan citizens had contacted the organisation to receive the fraudulent documentation and would have paid about €3000 each.
The Ministry also emphasised that the operation was launched after observing a very high number of requests for residence and work from Moroccan citizens due to extraordinary circumstances, especially family ties, and due to the fact that the clients of the criminal organisation presented their membership documentation to the offices of different emigration in the national territory, saying that they were descendants.
Moreover, two people were arrested during the investigation for membership in a criminal organisation, favouring irregular immigration and falsification of documents. Meanwhile, two entries and controls were made in Navarre, interfering with numerous fraudulent documents, 3400 in cash, and computer materials important to the investigation.
During December, the Spanish police also dismantled another criminal organisation that facilitated the irregular entry of Pakistani immigrants from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Spain using the Balkan route.
In this regard, the Ministry of Interior revealed that Pakistani immigrants were obliged to pay this organisation between €12,000 and €20,000 each.
As the Ministry explains, two entries and three inspections were carried out, where eight people were subsequently arrested, three in A Coruña, two in Alicante, two in Barcelona, and one in Huesca.
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