Rarely has a scam system of such magnitude been unearthed in Seine-et-Marne by the police from the Central Office for the Suppression of Irregular Immigration and the Employment of Untitled Foreigners (Ocriest) based in Lognes.
On April 13, 2021, in Emerainville, they arrested nine individuals - six Ukrainians and three Moldovans - aged 18 to 55, all active members of two illegal immigration networks.
Particularly cynical, these people embezzled 1.2 million euros of allowances intended for asylum seekers by recovering the cards of beneficiaries while sending them back to the country.
Prosecuted for assistance with entering and staying illegally on French territory, but also concealment in an organized gang and fraud in an organized gang, they were placed in pre-trial detention.
The penalty is ten years imprisonment.
Read alsoLognes.
The Ocriest tracks those who profit from illegal immigration
"A judicial investigation has been opened and the case is under investigation because there are still many investigations to be carried out to find out more about the organization of fraud and the channels of disposal", it is specified. at the parquet floor of Melun.
Immigration candidates accommodated in squats
The investigation starts at the end of June 2020. The Seine-et-Marne prefecture is surprised by the massive influx of asylum seekers of Moldovan and Ukrainian origin. At the time, several camps or squats were already clearly identified: in Dammarie-les-Lys in the former premises of the company Eiffage avenue Montaigne, but also in Vaux-le-Pénil, Emerainville, Croissy-Beaubourg, Noisiel, Ferrières -en-Brie ...
This puts the chip in the ears of the Ocriest teams.
They open an investigation and identify two channels with one Moldovan branch that brings inhabitants of Moldova to France, the other, Ukrainian, brings Ukrainian citizens into France.
The machine is well oiled: they recruit candidates for immigration in their country of origin, then help them enter France, organize their accommodation in squats and provide them with help and advice in their administrative procedures.
Payment cards funded up to 440 euros per month
Once the asylum application file has been submitted, the candidate for this protection receives a payment card to be able to meet his needs, pending the decision of the prefecture.
This card is supplied each month to the tune of approximately 440 euros per person depending on their situation, with or without accommodation.
The height of cynicism: the organizers of the sectors get their hands on their cards and send their beneficiaries back to the country!
Around 500 cards were thus misappropriated over a ten-month period between 2020 and 2021 to reach this amount of 1.2 million euros.
“500 cards do not necessarily correspond to 500 people.
There can be more or less, if a person gives several names… ”, specifies the parquet floor of Melun which also wishes to deepen this aspect.
Investigators found a large part of these cards during searches. But the money was also transferred in cash to Moldova and Ukraine for the benefit of the crooks and their relatives. Apparently, the French Office for Immigration and Integration (Ofii) would not verify that the beneficiary of a card is physically present in the territory each month he can use it while awaiting a decision for his case. . This card system would be “recent” according to the Melun prosecutor's office. This flaw, the crooks know it ... Contacted, Ofii could not be reached.
On April 13, around forty Ocriest police officers, helped by their colleagues from the departmental public security directorate, CRS and gendarmes, therefore arrested the nine individuals in Emerainville.
In addition, cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities made it possible to arrest ten people in Ukraine.
Part of the damage may be found in this country if the thugs made luxury purchases (villas, luxury cars, etc.).
In France, they are rather discreet.
Since October 2020, the Seine-et-Marne prefecture has acted by organizing the evacuation of the various camps with the support of associations which identify the populations present and offer them temporary accommodation.
Some, like the giant camp at Noisiel, preferred to leave the area first.
