A criminal network that facilitated the entry of immigrants with false passports has been dismantled.

National Police officers, in collaboration with Europol, have dismantled a criminal network dedicated to facilitating the entry of immigrants into the United Kingdom and Canada using fake passports and airline tickets with their respective boarding passes.

According to a statement from the General Police Directorate, the network has facilitated more than 40 migration incidents , resulting in a profit of 3,000 euros per migrant.

There are a total of 11 detainees in the provinces of Gijón (six), Cantabria (four) and Madrid (one), among whom is the leader of the organization.

Three searches were carried out, resulting in the seizure of ten cell phones, a forged passport, and various documents related to the management of the migrants' travel reservations.

The investigation began in September 2024 when the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) informed Spanish law enforcement of multiple cases of Yemeni citizens attempting to reach Canadian soil from Spanish airports using false passports.

The operation concluded with three house searches in Madrid and the Cantabrian towns of Santoña and Torrelavega, which led to the dismantling of the criminal network.

During the operation, a Europolitan analyst was provided support to assist in the forensic extraction and subsequent analysis of the contents of the suspects' cell phones.

Following the initial investigations, further information was gathered as a result of international police cooperation efforts carried out with countries such as Switzerland, Finland, Austria, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Up to 3000 euros per trip

During the investigation and analysis of flight reservations, money transfers, credit card payments, security cameras at various European airports, and electronic travel applications, it was possible to determine the existence of a criminal organization offering false passports and documentation to enter countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, charging up to €3,000 for each transaction.

The foreign nationals traveled to a European airport after obtaining refugee cards in Greece . Once in transit through the international airport, a member of the scheme would give them a boarding pass. This person, who was the real ticket holder and the person who booked the flight, would then be given a fake passport, which they would present upon boarding.