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

• The criminal group had two branches, one in India where they recruited 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 USA.
• The victims paid between 70,000 and 100,000 euros for all the services provided and the false documents, which means that the organisation earned an estimated 10 million euros.
• Five raids 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 Customs and Border Protection Department, have dismantled an organization that provided false documents to Indian citizens to travel to Mexico with the end-use being the United States. The criminal group had two branches, one in India where they recruited the victims and another in Madrid where they arranged 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 amounts to an estimated profit for the organisation of ten million euros. Five raids and searches have been carried out, with six people arrested for belonging to a criminal organisation, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens and trafficking in false documents. Four of the arrests were made in Madrid and two in the Madrid town of Valdemoro.

Modus Operandi

National Police agents began 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 informed them of the existence of a criminal organization dedicated to providing false documents in Madrid and the United States.

Following investigations, 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 in hostels and flats for migrants, their maintenance and the delivery of false documentation (visas and passports) so they could travel to Mexico and from there be transported by other mafias to the United States.

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

Migrants had to pay amounts ranging from 70,000 to 100,000 euros, which allowed them to get an all-inclusive package, from air travel to Spain and Mexico to accommodation, food and falsified documentation. This is estimated to have provided economic benefits of around 10 million euros for the criminal group.

Five raids and searches have been carried out at the homes of the organisation's top leaders and six people have been arrested for membership in a criminal organisation, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens and trafficking in false documents. In addition, 46 false documents from different countries, almost 25,000 euros in cash and 2,500 US dollars, highly professional equipment for the production of documents, a laser printer, three dry stamps and one for entry into the Schengen area were seized.