Spain’s National Police has arrested a Spanish citizen in Melilla, along with a Moroccan immigrant, over suspicions of engaging in fraudulent activities related to immigration documentation.
Among those arrested was a woman who operated a consultancy specialising in processing immigration documents. The charges against them stem from a suspected case of falsifying data in an application for a residence and work permit.
According to local media, the launch of the investigation followed the discovery of irregularities in an application for residence and work authorisation under exceptional circumstances, explicitly citing the training’s roots last year. The application claimed that the individual seeking residency was engaged to complete a 2,000-hour Masonry Work and Technician training course at a high school in the autonomous city.
However, after verification, the management of the educational centre rejected this information, confirming that such a course was not offered in their institute. Consequently, the National Police, upon disclosing the falsified data, immediately brought the matter to the attention of the judicial authority.
Arrests were then carried out, targeting the adviser and the Moroccan citizen who was the petitioner, as they were suspected of being perpetrators of crimes related to the falsification of documents and the violation of the rights of foreign nationals.
This incident marks the second such case this January. In particular, a few days ago, the National Police detained a 55-year-old Moroccan woman and started investigations for her lawyer, who had submitted the request and acted as her representative. The allegations in this case suggest falsifying data relating to the woman’s residential address.
Moreover, the Melilla Police Headquarters revealed in a press release that these arrests were made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Unit Against Illegal Immigration Networks and Document Forgeries (UCRIF). The successful operation was facilitated by seamless coordination between UCRIF and the Immigration Office in Melilla, underscoring the importance of inter-agency cooperation in the fight against illegal immigration and document fraud.
In September 2022, authorities in the central Moroccan city of Fez also arrested seven individuals suspected of engaging in fraudulent activities targeting Schengen visa applicants.
Findings from the investigation revealed that the accused had approached a subcontractor firm responsible for processing visa application files destined for the consulates of Schengen countries.
The alleged perpetrators were said to have engaged in fraudulent practices by offering to pay 700 dirhams (around €200) to speed up the processing of their visa applications.
