Spain and Portugal police arrest 18 in joint operation for obtaining false residense permits

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/GeqNH)
Police in a joint operation with the Foreigners and Borders Service of Portugal (SEF) has dismantled an international network that sold hundreds of fake driver's licenses for about 1,500 euros each to clients from Eastern Europe

Spain and Portugal police arrest 18 in joint operation for obtaining false residense permits

Police in a joint operation with the Foreigners and Borders Service of Portugal (SEF) has dismantled an international network that sold hundreds of fake driver's licenses for about 1,500 euros each to clients from Eastern Europe.

In the operation 18 people were also detained accused of fraudulently obtaining residence permits through marriages of convenience, which were worth up to 5,000 euros.

Following investigations, the detectives found that the origin of the network was in the province of Alicante. The main leader of the group was travelling every week from Torrevieja to the towns of Leiria and Fatima to process fraudulent documents.

For trading volume, the most lucrative of these fakes is to supply Portuguese driving licences to people from Eastern Europe.

In many cases, clients achieved a higher license category for which they were not entitled, and obtained documents that allowed them to apply drive HGV’s without the required authorization.

The buyers paid € 1,500 per license, it is estimated that the gang made some 300,000 euros for falsifying such documents. There have been three arrests in Albacete, nine in Torrevieja, in a Parla (Madrid), and five in Portugal.

via Spain and Portugal police arrest 18 in joint operation for obtaining false residense permits.