Desarticulada red en Zaragoza que escondía migrantes en un zulo para su regularización ilegal
The National Police dismantled an international criminal organization in the province of Zaragoza dedicated to facilitating the illegal regularization of Algerian citizens. A total of 30 individuals were arrested, with 28 in Zaragoza, one in Huesca, and another in San Sebastián, all of whom have been incarcerated.
As reported on Tuesday, the criminal group housed migrants in a nine-square-meter hideout in Zaragoza, where they lived in subhuman conditions until the criminals provided a «package» of complete regularization, including necessary documentation for which they charged between 10,000 and 15,000 euros.
The migrants, who arrived in Spain from Algeria on makeshift boats, presented fraudulent contracts, work agreements, or training courses to apply for temporary residence permits due to exceptional circumstances. They also sought residency permits for family members through fictitious individuals.
The criminal organization had direct connections to the arrival of migrants from Algeria to the Spanish coast on makeshift boats, serving as a direct source of «migrants». The network was established in Zaragoza agencies in Spain but also had branches in other provinces such as Alicante, Murcia, Huesca, and Guipúzcoa.
Additionally, they had a wide network of collaborators and intermediaries responsible for conducting fraudulent registrations in homes, creating fake employment contracts, and gathering the necessary requirements to submit applications for temporary residence permits due to exceptional circumstances in various forms.
The criminal network also had collaborators in France who assisted clients residing in France in rectifying their administrative situation in Spain by managing Spanish residency applications without the need to relocate from French territory. This was achieved by submitting copies of passports, remote registrations, opening bank accounts, and arranging medical assistance, among other services.
The police investigation began after a surge in requests for temporary residence permits from Algerian citizens and the submission of multiple false documents for processing.
Authorities uncovered an international criminal network operating in Spain, with members coordinated at different hierarchy levels and specialized in capturing Algerian citizens. Once irregularly brought into national territory, the migrants were subjected to all necessary procedures to start their regularization process.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 30 individuals of various nationalities, with six key suspects detained, including the leaders of the organization. Furthermore, seven raids were conducted in the province of Zaragoza, leading to the seizure of several false documents and Algerian passports.
The organizational structure was hierarchical, with each member assigned specific tasks, such as recruiting clients for registration, conducting fraudulent registrations in homes, securing fake employment contracts, or arranging fictitious civil unions.
To carry out these activities, the organization demanded varying sums of money, ranging from 600 to 900 euros for regularization, 3,000 to 10,000 euros for fraudulent contracts, 2,000 to 6,000 euros for fictitious civil unions, and 200 euros for document transportation.
Fraudulent registrations were conducted using the «appearance» method, where individuals resembling those to be registered were used, even if they were not physically present at the registered address or within Spanish territory.
Upon arrival in Spain, Algerian migrants were housed in subhuman conditions in a nine-square-meter hideout managed by the criminal organization in Zaragoza, awaiting the start of their regularization process.
FUENTE
