A gang has been dismantled in Torrevieja after its members were caught offering falsified documents to citizens of other countries so that they could claim links with the Ukraine and benefit from the social and financial systems available for those displaced by the war.
National Police officers have arrested 19 people after an investigation. The operation began after forged documents were presented by two Russian citizens, who were posing as residents of Ukraine. The documents were passed to the Unit Against Illegal Immigration Networks and Document Falsification (UCRIF) of Alicante and to the UCRIF of Valencia, with the units joining forces to find out where the documents came from.
During the investigation, officers initially made 16 arrests over document falsification for citizens from Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova who had al acquired fake documents. These ranged from permanent residence cards and certificates, marriage licences, birth or death certificates among others.
Finally, officers located the alleged main perpetrators behind the forgeries. These were a woman and two men who ran an agency in Torrevieja. They identified potential clients for the illegal documents from people who came to the business with genuine requirement. Clients were charged between 3,000 and 5,000 euros for each document.
The three detainees are accused of the crimes of documentary falsification, favouring illegal immigration and belonging to a criminal gang.
In the searches carried out, officers seized documentation from the detainees, printing stamps, headed paper, official documents from countries such as Russia and Moldova. There was also tools and equipment such as an electronic sealer, a dataphone, two laminators, photographic paper and numerous software programs all used for the forgery of documents. They also seized 23,500 euros in cash.
Those arrested were placed at the disposal of the Investigating Court 3 of the Torrevieja Guard. The rest of the detainees were released after making a statement at the police station.
The investigation is still open and further arrests are not being ruled out once the analysis of the large amount of data, both physical and digital, of the documents seized has been completed.