Spanish Police Bust Fake Marriage Ring: 129 Arrested in Moroccan Residency Scam

The criminal network, whose alleged leader is a lawyer based in Elche, has been operating since 2017 in Alicante and Murcia. In three years of investigation, the national police arrested 129 members of this organization specialized in organizing fake marriages between Spanish citizens and foreigners, particularly of Moroccan origin, reports ORM.

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The lawyer meticulously prepared the marriages with the help of "fake witnesses". He coached the couples and the witnesses so that they would answer the questions correctly in the administrations throughout the process. Moreover, he prepared all the required files for them so that the fraud would not be detected during the marriage interviews.

In total, 72 fake marriages were celebrated and allowed 51 foreigners to obtain residence permits. The network’s clients paid up to 10,000 euros for these services. The 129 arrested persons, 66 men and 63 women of various nationalities and aged between 23 and 71, are being prosecuted for violations of the rights of foreigners, document forgery, false testimony and membership in a criminal group.