Alert for increased scams when traveling 0:46
(CNN Spanish) -
Six people who allegedly sold false asylum cards to Colombians in Spain were arrested.
They are accused of the crimes of belonging to a criminal organization against the rights of foreign citizens, document falsification and fraud, the National Police of Spain reported this Wednesday in a statement.
The criminal group, which according to the authorities was made up "mainly" of Colombians, "took advantage of the situation of vulnerability in which foreigners found themselves to obtain substantial benefits from their illegal activity," according to the statement.
Meanwhile, the police did not detail the total number of Colombians detained, but said that those arrested would have received about US $ 10,199 for providing false documentation.
Scams flourish during the pandemic
According to the statement, the group operated in Spain and distributed the documents in the provinces and communities of Madrid, Murcia, Alicante, Valencia, Toledo and León.
How the criminal group operated
"The leader of the organization posed as a lawyer specializing in immigration procedures. Its main members settled in the provinces of Madrid and Alicante, performing functions of capturing, mediating and facilitating falsified asylum seeker cards," he said. police.
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On the other hand, the statement added that more than 20 people had acquired the documents through this group, and that only "some" did not know that they were fraudulent.
At the moment it is unknown how the detainees declare themselves before the accusations.
The National Police of Spain told CNN on Wednesday that it could not provide information on the defense of those allegedly involved.
Pau Mosquera contributed to this report
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