A total of 26 individuals have been taken into custody on suspicion of providing fake identification documents to Albanian citizens to enable them to travel to the United Kingdom or Ireland via a Spanish airport as their final destination.
According to reports from Schengen.News, it was revealed during the investigation by the National Spanish Police that individuals of Albanian origin were making weekly trips from Albania to Spain through Serbia and Hungary. They were transporting Albanian immigrants in vans to Barcelona and Tarragona.
Since the launch of the investigation in 2019, a total of six operational phases have been conducted, resulting in the arrest of 56 people and the dismantling of various Albanian and Kosovar cells. The recent phase of the operation led to the arrest of 26 individuals, ultimately leading to the complete dismantling of the criminal network.
In addition to aiding Albanian citizens in reaching the UK and Ireland, the criminal network was also involved in distributing fake documents to other criminal organizations engaged in activities such as robberies, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking. Furthermore, a laboratory in Kosovo that was responsible for creating false documents was dismantled by the police.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior disclosed that a total of 47 entries and controls were carried out, with one in Tarragona and the rest simultaneously in Albania. Some members of the organization were known for their involvement in violent incidents related to drug trafficking.
Throughout the course of the investigation, several individuals were apprehended for their participation in criminal activities, including the possession of firearms, ammunition, stolen jewelry, and blocked mobile phones. The organization also had connections with other criminal groups, particularly those involved in marijuana cultivation in Catalonia.
While the investigation was a collaborative effort between Spain and other affected countries, such as the UK, Portugal, Canada, and Germany, it highlighted the international nature of the criminal network. From 2023 to June 2024, a total of 274 Albanians were arrested at Spanish airports for document falsification, with 77 individuals detained specifically for this offense at all airports.
During the same period, Spanish authorities apprehended 247 Albanian citizens at Barajas and El Prat airports alone. The joint efforts of law enforcement agencies across different countries were crucial in combating the illegal activities of this criminal network and ensuring the safety and security of all individuals involved.