Joint operation of the Tax Agency, the National Police and the Department of Customs and Border Protection of the United States

• The criminal group had two branches, one in India where they captured the victims and another in Madrid where they managed their accommodation and maintenance until the delivery of the false documents for their transfer to the United States.
• The victims paid between 70,000 and 100,000 euros for all the services provided and the false documents, so profits for the organization are estimated at 10 million euros.
• Five entries and searches have been carried out, arresting six people for criminal organization, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens and trafficking in false documents.

October 28, 2022.- Customs Surveillance Officials from the Tax Agency and agents from the National Police, in a joint operation with the United States Department of Customs and Border Protection, have dismantled an organization that provided false documents to Indian citizens to travel to Mexico with their end-use to the United States. The criminal group had two branches, one in India where they captured the victims and another in Madrid where they managed their accommodation and maintenance until the delivery of the false documents for their transfer to the United States. The victims paid between 70,000 and 100,000 euros for all the services provided and the false documents, which estimates profits for the organization of ten million euros. Five entries and searches have been carried out, arresting six people for membership in a criminal organization, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens and trafficking in false documents. Four of the arrests have been carried out in the capital of Madrid and two in the Madrid town of Valdemoro.

Modus Operandi

Agents of the National Police begin the investigation thanks to the collaboration of the Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance and the Department of Customs and Border Protection of the United States, which informs them about the existence of a criminal organization dedicated to the facilitation of false documents in Madrid and USA.

After the investigations carried out, it was revealed that the criminal network operated internationally. One branch located in India was dedicated to recruiting victims and the other, in Madrid, managed the accommodation of migrants in hostels and flats, their maintenance and the delivery of false documentation (visas and passports) to be able to travel to Mexico and from there be transferred by other mafias to the United States.

Payments of 70,000 to 100,000 euros for an 'all-inclusive'

Migrants had to pay amounts that ranged between 70,000 and 100,000 euros, which allowed them 'everything included', from plane trips to Spain and Mexico, to accommodation, maintenance and falsified documentation. Which is estimated to have provided economic benefits of around 10 million euros for the criminal group.

Five entries and searches have been carried out at the homes of the main leaders of the organization and six people have been arrested for membership in a criminal organization, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens and trafficking in false documents. At the same time, 46 false documents from different countries have been seized, almost 25,000 euros in cash and 2,500 US dollars, highly professional utensils for the manufacture of documents, a laser printer, three dry stamps and one for entry into space. Schengen.