Police authorities in France and Spain, with aid from Europol and Georgian authorities, have busted an organized crime network that procured and distributed fake IDs and travel documents in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The organization was providing forged documents to other criminals who used them for smuggling migrants to the US, the UK and Ireland, as well as to carry out property crimes and drug trafficking. It charged €8000 ($8742) per person for making all the logistical arrangements for migrant smuggling.
The members of the criminal network came primarily from Eastern European countries and operated mainly in France, Germany, Georgia, Italy, Lithuania, and Spain. They distributed counterfeit French, Romanian, Georgian, Lithuanian and Polish IDs and other documents through dark web, instant messaging applications and postal services.
Between January 31, 2022 and February 16, 2022, the authorities searched 3 houses each in France and Spain. They also arrested 17 suspects, 3 in France and 14 in Spain. Further, the authorities seized electronic devices, forged and legitimate ID documents, payment cards and cash, among other items.
Source: Europol